Soccer
Ademola Lookman has made a fresh public move to defuse the growing tension with Victor Osimhen after their on-field confrontation threatened to overshadow Nigeria’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Mozambique and cast an unexpected cloud over the Super Eagles’ Africa Cup of Nations campaign, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria’s place in the quarter-finals of AFCON 2025 was secured in style on Monday night in Fès, with Osimhen scoring twice and Lookman producing a man-of-the-match display that included a goal and two assists.
Yet within hours, the story of Nigeria’s dominance had been replaced by images, arguments and reports of a dressing-room rupture involving the team’s two biggest stars.
On Tuesday, Lookman attempted to draw a line under the episode. The Atalanta forward posted a series of photographs of himself and Osimhen together, including one showing him carrying the striker on his back, and accompanied them with a simple message: “Together always.”
It was a deliberate and public gesture of unity, aimed at cooling a situation that has continued to simmer long after the final whistle.
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Soccer Osimhen vs Lookman: How a perfect night turned sour
The clash was all the more startling because it came after a display of devastating attacking chemistry between the two players.
In the 25th minute, Alex Iwobi’s superb pass released Lookman, who squared unselfishly for Osimhen to score. The pair celebrated together, sliding across the wet turf alongside Bruno Onyemaechi.
Shortly after half-time, Lookman again turned provider, leaping into Osimhen’s arms after setting him up for his second goal.
But as Nigeria’s control of the match grew, so did Osimhen’s frustration.
Several promising attacks ended without the ball reaching him. When Lookman chose to dribble rather than pass to an unmarked Osimhen in a good position, the striker’s body language became visibly tense.
Osimhen confronted Lookman, pointing aggressively in his face. Captain Wilfred Ndidi tried to intervene, only for Osimhen to slap his arm away.
The fallout continued after the match. Osimhen walked straight down the tunnel, left the dressing room early, and sat alone on the team bus while his teammates were still inside.
Senior figures in the squad have tried to play down the incident. Captain Wilfred Ndidi and Moses Simon both insisted there was nothing unusual about Osimhen’s reaction while head coach Eric Chelle insisted that the matter would be addressed away from the prying eyes of the public.
But behind the scenes, the issue has proved harder to contain.
Reports suggest Osimhen threatened to leave the Super Eagles camp and return to Galatasaray even though Nigeria’s tournament is far from over. It is understood that the NFF president has personally tried to calm the striker, while some officials believe he should be left alone to cool off.
All this comes at an awkward time for a team that, on the pitch, appears to be gathering real momentum.
Lookman has been Nigeria’s standout performer at the tournament, with seven goal contributions so far, while Osimhen is now just three goals shy of Rashidi Yekini’s all-time national scoring record.
That makes Lookman’s latest gesture all the more significant. Immediately after the Mozambique match, he had already insisted there was no bad blood, repeatedly referring to Osimhen as his brother. His social media post on Tuesday was a second, more visible attempt to close the matter.
Both players will hope the situation fades quickly, because Nigeria now face a quarter-final that carries heavy emotional weight.
The Super Eagles will meet either DR Congo or Algeria, two sides who have inflicted painful recent memories. Algeria ended Nigeria’s dream of a fourth continental title at the 2019 AFCON with a 2-1 semi-final win, while DR Congo denied the Super Eagles a place at the World Cup after a penalty shootout victory in the final continental playoff last November.
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