Former Super Eagles winger Tijani Babangida has provided a fascinating tactical breakdown of Nigeria’s success at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, revealing that head coach Eric Chelle purposefully abandoned rigid formations to maximize Ademola Lookman’s impact. Speaking during a guest appearance on Sunday Oliseh’s Global Football Insights podcast on Friday, March 6, 2026, Babangida explained that Chelle’s decision to grant Lookman a “free hand” was the catalyst for the forward’s tournament-leading performances in Morocco. By removing the traditional constraints of a fixed left-wing position, the manager allowed the Atletico Madrid star to roam across the front line, a move that Babangida believes restored a sense of “Nigerian identity” to the national team’s playstyle.
The tactical shift saw the Super Eagles move away from the predictable wing-play that had characterized previous regimes. Babangida, a standout of the 1996 Olympic gold-winning “Dream Team,” noted that Chelle effectively “dissolved” the standard number 11 role to create a more fluid attacking structure. This allowed Lookman to drift into central pockets or swap flanks with the right winger, creating constant numerical advantages and confusing opposing defenses. The former Ajax speedster suggested that this unpredictability was the primary reason why the Super Eagles appeared significantly more dangerous and cohesive throughout their journey to the bronze medal.
“You can only put the number 7, but number 11 is free. Lookman can run there, a striker can run there, and you have more chances for good attacks, with more midfielders involved as well.”
According to Babangida, the system’s success was rooted in its ability to involve more players in the final third. By not tethering a specific player to the left touchline, the formation opened up “channels” for surging runs from the midfield and allowed strikers like Victor Osimhen to occupy wider spaces when necessary. This level of tactical flexibility reminded Babangida of the legendary Nigerian teams of the 1990s, where players like Daniel Amokachi operated with similar freedom. He observed that the Nigerian public, initially skeptical of the new coach, was quickly won over by the aesthetic and effective football produced under this modernized “traditional” setup.
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