Atletico Madrid have reportedly raised concerns over the handling of Ademola Lookman by the Nigeria Football Federation following his involvement in recent international friendlies.
The Spanish side are said to be unhappy with the forward’s extensive game time during Nigeria’s matches against the Iran national football team and Jordan national football team, where he played the full 180 minutes across both fixtures.
Lookman, who recently joined Atletico Madrid from Atalanta BC during the winter transfer window, featured prominently for the Super Eagles. He completed 90 minutes in the 2-1 victory over Iran and also played the entirety of the 2-2 draw against Jordan in Antalya.
According to reports from Spanish outlet AS, Atletico Madrid consider the decision to field the attacker for the full duration of both friendlies excessive, particularly given the non-competitive nature of the matches.
The Nigeria international has been in impressive form since his move to Spain, registering five goals and four assists in 14 appearances across La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.
With the season entering a crucial stage, Atletico Madrid are keen to carefully manage Lookman’s workload, fearing that the heavy minutes played on international duty could lead to fatigue or increase the risk of injury, potentially impacting their pursuit of silverware on multiple fronts.
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.
