Ademola Lookman has played down his on-field disagreement with Victor Osimhen during Nigeria’s 4-0 victory over Mozambique in the Round of 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday.
The Super Eagles delivered a dominant performance to secure a place in the quarter-finals, with Osimhen scoring twice and Lookman producing a superb display that included one goal and a hat-trick of assists.
However, a moment of tension briefly surfaced in the 64th minute. With Nigeria leading 3-0 and preparing to take a corner kick, Osimhen was seen angrily confronting Lookman for not releasing a pass earlier, believing he was better positioned to score.
Moments later, the former African Player of the Year signalled to the bench and was subsequently replaced by Moses Simon. After the final whistle, Osimhen headed straight to the dressing room while his teammates gathered in the centre circle.
Addressing the situation during his post-match press conference—after being named Man of the Match for the second time in the tournament—Lookman dismissed the incident as insignificant, insisting the team’s victory mattered far more.
“I don’t think that is really important; the team won 4-0,” Lookman told journalists.
“Vic is my number one guy—everybody knows this. Top striker, top player, so all of the rest is not important.”
The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to a quarter-final clash against either Algeria or DR Congo in Marrakech, as they continue their push for a fourth AFCON title.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
