Super Eagles duo Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman were at the centre of a brief but noticeable on-pitch disagreement during Nigeria’s emphatic victory over Mozambique, Soccernet.ng reports.
A heated exchange between the two attackers caught the attention of the Nigerian football faithful despite the Super Eagles’ dominant display.
Nigeria cruised into the quarter-finals of AFCON 2025 with a comprehensive win in Fes, powered by Osimhen’s brace and Lookman’s goal-and-assist masterclass.
However, moments during the game, cameras picked up a tense exchange between the former Napoli striker and the Atalanta winger before Osimhen called for a substitution.
What happened between Osimhen and Lookman?
According to observations made by Soccernet.ng, Osimhen appeared visibly frustrated for not getting a pass from the former Fulham star during the exchange and went on to stress the importance of collective play.
“Hey, hey, it’s a team game. Listen to me, bro,” Osimhen was heard saying.
Lookman responded calmly, attempting to defuse the situation by pointing to Osimhen’s goals.
“Bro, you scored two goals. You got two,” Lookman replied.
Watch what Osimhen and Lookman said here:
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Osimhen, still animated, requested to be subbed off, which was granted after, and was replaced by Moses Simon. Meanwhile, this further added fuel to speculation about the disagreement.
Lookman plays down the incident
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Lookman dismissed suggestions of a serious rift, insisting there was no issue within the squad.
“I have not seen [Victor] Osimhen, but I don’t think that matters. Vic[tor Osimhen] is our number one guy; everybody knows this. He’s a top striker. So all of that doesn’t matter,” Lookman said when asked about the incident.
Victor Osimhen leaving early while being simultaneously defended by Ademola Lookman in the post match presser.
Two very different reactions to their on-field bust up!#AFCON2025 #supereagles #Osimhen #Lookman pic.twitter.com/hBCaDoJw7F— Tunde Young (@realtundeyoung) January 5, 2026
A dominant night for Nigeria's Super Eagles
The disagreement came on a night Nigeria were largely in control. Osimhen scored twice to continue his climb up Nigeria’s all-time scoring charts, while Lookman delivered one of the performances of the tournament — scoring once and providing two assists, including set-ups for Osimhen and Akor Adams.
Lookman’s display earned him his second Man of the Match award at AFCON 2025 and took his tournament tally to seven goal involvements (three goals, four assists), which shows his importance to Eric Chelle’s side.
No cause for alarm in Super Eagles camp
Despite the brief flashpoint, there is no indication of deeper issues within the squad. Nigeria have won all their matches so far in Morocco, kept their momentum intact and remain one of the favourites heading into the quarter-finals.
Following the game, comments from players like Calvin Bassey and Frank Onyeka have shown to Soccernet the Super Eagles’ dressing room continues to be built on unity even when emotions spill over on the pitch.
