Nigeria coach Eric Chelle confirmed that star forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will not be available for Nigeria's upcoming friendly matches against Poland and Portugal, but Osimhen said people must 'disregard' his coach's reasons.
Chelle had cited Osimhen's uncertain club situation for the Galatasaray forward's absence, but after that sparked controversy, Osimhen was forced to release a clarifying statement.
Chelle made the original comments after the Super Eagles defeated Jamaica 3-0 to win the 2026 Unity Cup at the Valley Stadium in London, their fourth title in the competition's history.
The coach had said: "We will miss two players because Victor Osimhen, he had maybe to change a club, so I prefer that he stays, because if you play and you are not at hundred percent, this is not good.
"And (Ademola) Lookman is very tired, and Atletico has asked us to let him, so we will travel with 18 players."
This was quickly followed by a post from Osimhen himself on Instagram where he stated that he had a conversation with the coach.
"Unfortunately, his words have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion," Osimhen wrote.
"He has great respect for Galatasaray, follows most of our games, and never intended to create any controversy.
"I appreciate the conversation, the opportunity to always represent my country, and I look forward to continuing to work with him.
"He is a great coach whom I respect a lot, and I kindly ask everyone to disregard the speculation surrounding this matter."
Osimhen, 27, completed a permanent move to Galatasaray for a transfer fee of €75 million last summer after a successful loan spell, but his future has remained the subject of continued transfer speculation despite his long-term contract with Galatasaray.
Reports in recent months have linked the Super Eagles striker with several major European clubs, including Arsenal, Juventus and Bayern Munich, following another prolific season in Turkiye.
UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain are also among the clubs circling, with Luis Enrique reportedly identifying the 27-year-old as the ideal frontman for a fresh attacking rebuild.
Barcelona have not been left out, though their interest appears to have been affected by their pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Julián Álvarez, while other reports claim new Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is just as keen.
Galatasaray, however, have publicly maintained their desire to keep the striker as they prepare for next season.
The club are in a commanding negotiating position having tied him to a long-term contract until 2029, with reports in Turkiye suggesting they are demanding around €150 million before agreeing to any sale.
Chelle also took the opportunity to clarify his initial comments on Lookman, now saying only that Lookman "won't be available for personal reasons."
Beyond the two headline absentees, the coach also disclosed that Nigeria will also be weakened by the absences of Femi Azeez, Alhassan Yusuf, Tijani Samson and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro.
Although reduced to something of a shorthanded squad, Chelle insists that the team will fight: "The upcoming matches are friendlies and I will approach every game with seriousness with the players available."
In his earlier post-match remarks, the tone was combative: "We go to make a fight, to make a war. If we win, we win. If we lose, they have to work on us. They have to beat us to win these two games."
He added that the fixtures came with some personal grudge for him, after the failure to qualify for this month's FIFA World Cup: "Poland, this is a good team, they go to the World Cup. Portugal, maybe the best team in the world.
"So, this is a great challenge for us. And for sure I want to go in their own country, to beat them. Because I'm sad to don't go to the World Cup, maybe it will be something very good for me."