Head coach of the Super Eagles, Éric Chelle, gave a thorough evaluation of Ademola Lookman’s physical state towards the end of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Chelle acknowledged that the winger’s heavy workload during the tournament eventually affected his performance, even though he had excellent matches for Nigeria.
Speaking on RMC Sport’s After Foot, Chelle said that Lookman was not in form at the start of the season, and this affected his physical performance as the AFCON progressed.
The coach explained his comments by discussing Lookman’s performance throughout the season before Nigeria’s Africa campaign.
Chelle talked about Ademola Lookman’s start to the season in September, saying he did not get much playing time.
He mentioned that the attacker had not played many minutes at his club before the tournament.
Even though he started slowly, Lookman soon became one of Nigeria’s most important players in the AFCON group stage.
His direct running, goal-scoring, and creative abilities were key to the Super Eagles’ offensive actions as they confidently moved through the early part of the competition.
“He put in his best effort during the group stage and performed very well. So amazing, really, really good,” said the Super Eagles coach.
As the tournament reached its most important stages, Chelle realized that the physical strain was starting to take its toll, especially during the knockout rounds.
Nigeria went deep into the competition and ended up in third place, but the tough games showed that some key players were getting tired.
Chelle said that Lookman kept up his strong performances, even though his physical abilities started to decline slightly.
Chelle added, “In the quarter-finals, if you watch the match closely, he’s physically strong but begins to lose his edge a bit, and it’s really true that we felt he was tired.”
Lookman’s performance in the Africa Cup of Nations helped boost his reputation and set the stage for a major career move soon after the tournament.
He joined Atlético Madrid, and in his first game, he scored a goal and also set up another chance.
