A top official of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed rumours suggesting that Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen is set to leave Nigeria’s camp at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The clarification was disclosed by FIFA and CAF-accredited journalist Adepoju Samuel, following widespread speculation triggered by an on-field confrontation between Osimhen and teammate Ademola Lookman during Nigeria’s Round of 16 encounter against Mozambique.
The Super Eagles secured a dominant 4–0 victory in the match.
Providing an update via his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Samuel quoted the senior team official as saying the matter had been fully resolved.
“A top team official just confirmed the latest situation over yesterday’s incident,” Samuel wrote.
“The official said everything has been sorted since last night, and we are all good. There was no discussion about Osimhen leaving the tournament. The issue has been resolved as a family.”
The controversy arose in the 63rd minute of the match when Osimhen became visibly upset after Lookman failed to pass to him, even though the Galatasaray striker was unmarked in the penalty area.
Cameras captured Osimhen angrily confronting Lookman, pulling away from captain Wilfred Ndidi, pointing at his teammate, and shouting his displeasure. He was also heard saying in pidgin, “No try am again,” meaning “do not try that again.”
At the time of the incident, Lookman had already created two chances for Osimhen—one resulting in a direct assist and another coming through Akor Adams.
Osimhen later requested a substitution and was replaced by Moses Simon, a move that drew boos from some sections of the crowd.
The incident sparked widespread criticism on social media, with fans questioning Osimhen’s attitude despite Nigeria’s commanding performance.
However, Ademola Lookman appeared to downplay the situation on Tuesday by sharing photos of himself alongside Osimhen and Bruno Onyemaechi on the pitch after the match. He captioned the post on Instagram: “TOGETHER ALWAYS.”
In addition, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle and team captain Wilfred Ndidi have both dismissed reports of any lingering misunderstanding between them. They urged Nigerians to continue supporting the team as they prepare for their quarter-final clash against either Algeria or DR Congo.
