Despite Nigeria’s emphatic 4-0 demolition of Mozambique in the AFCON Round of 16 yesterday, the talk of the town remains a heated 63rd-minute confrontation between star forwards Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen.
While fans on social media expressed concern over team harmony, Ademola Lookman, the Man of the Match, dismissed the incident as “just football” during his post-match press conference today, Tuesday, 6 January 2026.
The friction occurred in the second half while Nigeria held a comfortable 3–0 lead. Despite Lookman having already provided the assists for both of Osimhen’s goals, the Galatasaray striker was seen yelling and pointing a finger at the Atalanta star.
Osimhen was reportedly furious after Lookman opted for a shot instead of a pass during a promising counter-attack.
Television cameras captured Osimhen warning Lookman in Pidgin English: “No try am again” (Don’t try that again).
Captain Wilfred Ndidi stepped in to separate the two, but a clearly agitated Osimhen immediately signaled to the bench for a substitution. He was replaced by Moses Simon in the 68th minute and was notably booed by sections of the Nigerian fans as he walked off.
Speaking to reporters, Lookman, who now leads the tournament with 4 assists, was quick to shut down rumors of a rift within the Super Eagles camp.
“Victor is our number one guy; everybody knows this. He’s a top striker and vital to us. Moments like that happen, but they don’t change our togetherness. He is my brother. I play for the badge and my teammates; whether it’s assists or goals, the team comes first.” – Ademola Lookman.
While Lookman sought to move on, Head Coach Éric Sékou Chelle took a sterner tone. Having previously enforced a “media blackout” to maintain discipline, Chelle hinted that the outburst would not be ignored.
“What happened on the pitch will stay in the group. I will keep that for me [to myself], and we will talk,” Chelle said.
Sources within the camp suggest Chelle was “disappointed” by the public nature of the spat and may issue a formal warning to Osimhen to ensure focus remains on the upcoming quarter-final.
Despite the 63rd-minute drama, the Lookman-Osimhen duo remains the most lethal pairing at AFCON 2025:
| Player | Goals | Assists | Key Stat |
| Ademola Lookman | 3 | 4 | Most goal contributions (7) in the tournament. |
| Victor Osimhen | 3 | 0 | Two of his three goals were assisted by Lookman. |
| Nigeria Team | 12 | 9 | Most prolific attack in AFCON 2025 so far. |
