Lookman speaks on Clash With Osimhen After Super Eagles’ AFCON Win

Ademola Lookman has played down the heated exchange involving Victor Osimhen during Nigeria’s 4–0 victory over Mozambique at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), describing the incident as a normal part of football.

The Super Eagles sealed their place in the quarter-finals on Monday with a dominant second-round performance, as Osimhen scored twice, while Lookman and Akor Adams added the other goals.

Despite the emphatic win, the match was briefly overshadowed by a tense moment in the second half when Osimhen angrily confronted Lookman and some teammates for reasons that remain unclear.

The situation escalated enough to require intervention from fellow players.
Visibly upset, the Galatasaray striker later gestured to the bench to be substituted and was withdrawn, with Moses Simon coming on in his place.

Reacting after the match, Lookman dismissed the incident as insignificant, insisting it had no impact on team unity. He reaffirmed Osimhen’s importance to the squad, describing him as both the team’s leading figure and a close teammate.

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“I have not seen Osimhen, but I don’t think that matters,” Lookman said. “Vic is our number one guy everybody knows this. He’s a top striker, so all of that doesn’t matter.
“It’s just football. It’s always football. He is my brother.”

Nigeria will now turn its attention to the quarter-finals, where the Super Eagles are set to face either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) on January 10.