Nigeria Players Abroad
Nigerian rapper Vector urges Lookman to wise up amid Gasperini controversy
By Monsurah Olatunji
Nigerian rapper Olanrewaju Ogunmefun, better known as Vector, has weighed in on the ongoing dispute between Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini and Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, offering his support to the player.
Lookman found himself at the center of criticism after coming off the bench to score in Atalanta’s 3-1 second-leg defeat to Club Brugge, but his missed penalty contributed to his team’s exit from the UEFA Champions League.
Gasperini stirred controversy by labeling Lookman “one of the worst penalty takers” after the miss.
The harsh criticism from his manager left Lookman disappointed, and the Nigerian international took to Instagram to express his frustration, calling the remarks “deeply disrespectful” and personally hurtful.
Since then, Lookman has received support from across the football world, with Vector offering a cryptic post in solidarity.
On his X (formerly Twitter) page, the rapper compared Lookman’s current situation to Victor Osimhen’s previous dispute with Napoli, where the club’s official TikTok account mocked the striker over a penalty miss.
“I thought I was a Victor [Osimhen] till Napoli started laughing. Make Lookman look well… this skin issue sha,” Vector wrote.
The situation has sparked mixed reactions within the Nigerian football community, with some fans calling for Lookman’s summer exit, seeing parallels between this controversy and the earlier incident with Osimhen.
