Nigeria’s commanding 4–0 victory over Mozambique on Monday night, which secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, was marred by dramatic scenes involving Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen.
The Super Eagles delivered one of their most convincing performances of the tournament, brushing aside the Mambas to ease into the last eight and potentially set up a clash with DR Congo. The win also helped ease the lingering disappointment of missing out on a second consecutive World Cup.
However, the celebrations were quickly overshadowed by a heated confrontation between Osimhen and teammate Ademola Lookman during the match.
Ironically, the incident followed moments of excellent attacking synergy. In the 25th minute, Alex Iwobi split the defence with a precise pass, allowing Lookman to square for Osimhen to open the scoring, with the pair celebrating together alongside Bruno Onyemaechi.
Soon after the break, Lookman again turned provider, setting up Osimhen for another opportunity and celebrating enthusiastically with the striker.
Frustration soon crept in for the Napoli forward. After several promising moves failed to result in passes to him, Osimhen reacted angrily when Lookman opted to dribble instead of passing in a dangerous position. He also showed visible displeasure when Onyemaechi and Akor Adams carried the ball into the box rather than laying it off for him.
Tensions reached boiling point when Lookman moved toward the corner flag to take a set piece. Osimhen confronted him forcefully, pointing at his face. Captain Wilfred Ndidi attempted to intervene but was pushed aside in the process.
In a rare moment, Mozambique defender Reinildo Mandava stepped in to separate the two players.
Osimhen then signalled to the bench requesting a substitution and was withdrawn for Moses Simon, despite Nigeria comfortably leading 3–0 at the time.
According to reports by Arise TV, Osimhen headed straight down the tunnel at the final whistle while his teammates and coaching staff remained on the pitch. It was further claimed that he left the dressing room early and sat alone on the team bus while others fulfilled media obligations.
Sources within the camp alleged that the striker later exited the stadium visibly distressed, dropped his accreditation, and declared he was “finished” with the national team, insisting he would return to Turkey.
Nigeria Football Federation officials were reportedly quick to intervene, with senior figures attempting to calm the situation, although some within the hierarchy were said to believe he should be given time to cool off.
The episode has reignited concerns about Osimhen’s temperament, coming months after his highly publicised fallout with former head coach Finidi George in June 2024.
The timing is particularly sensitive, as Lookman has emerged as Nigeria’s standout performer at this year’s AFCON, recording seven direct goal contributions—three goals and four assists—the highest tally in the competition so far.
While Osimhen remains hugely popular with fans and sits just three goals short of Rashidi Yekini’s all-time national scoring record, his recent outings have been marked by visible frustration.
For now, Nigeria’s impressive progress in the tournament has taken a back seat as attention shifts to the internal tension threatening to disrupt harmony within the squad.
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