Nigerian football fans have reacted sharply to Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen following his visibly angry confrontation with teammate Ademola Lookman during Nigeria’s emphatic 4–0 win over Mozambique in the round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The incident occurred in the 63rd minute when Lookman failed to play Osimhen through on goal despite the striker being in a clear scoring position.
Television footage showed Osimhen expressing his frustration openly on the pitch, gesturing angrily toward Lookman and needing to be restrained momentarily by captain Wilfred Ndidi.
He was later heard warning his teammate not to repeat the action.
The reaction surprised many fans, especially given Lookman’s positive contribution earlier in the match.
The Atalanta forward had already created multiple opportunities for Osimhen, including providing a direct assist for one of his goals, while also contributing to another chance through Akor Adams.
Shortly after the exchange, Osimhen requested to be substituted. As he made his way off the pitch to be replaced by Moses Simon, sections of the crowd responded with boos, signalling their displeasure with the striker’s conduct rather than his performance.
The moment quickly ignited debate on social media platform X, where several fans criticised Osimhen’s attitude, describing his reaction as unnecessary and unprofessional, particularly in a match Nigeria was comfortably winning.
Many questioned why such an outburst was needed during a dominant team performance, with some suggesting the striker needed to show greater composure and leadership.
Despite the controversy, Osimhen still had an outstanding night statistically, scoring twice in the encounter. Lookman also impressed, finishing with a goal and two assists as Nigeria recorded their fourth straight win of the tournament to book a place in the quarter-finals.
The Super Eagles will now prepare for a last-eight clash against either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of Congo as they continue their pursuit of a first AFCON title since 2013.
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