Former Nigerian international Sunday Oliseh believes Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen’s outburst against teammate Ademola Lookman affected his game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Recall that the encounter occurred against Mozambique, where the Galatasaray forward was caught on camera confronting Lookman in the 63rd minute after the Atalanta winger missed a scoring opportunity despite Osimhen being unmarked in the box.
By that stage of the match, Lookman had already created two clear chances for Osimhen, including one that resulted in a direct assist, while another opportunity came through Akor Adams. The Super Eagles eventually defeated the Mambas 4-0 to cruise to the quarter-final stages.
Oliseh, via his official YouTube channel, argued that Lookman’s form dipped noticeably after the confrontation, affecting Nigeria’s attacking edge in the semifinal.
“Let’s look at the toxicity that might have caused us (Nigeria) the AFCON title,” Oliseh said on his YouTube channel.
Read Also:Senegal Players To Get Plots Of Land After AFCON Success
“We are confusing talent with license. Victor Osimhen is world class but talent is not license to destroy team chemistry.
“Look at the evidence. Since that public outburst against Ademola Lookman, one of our brightest lights, Lookman became a shadow of himself and we lost the bite.
“When you publicly diminish your teammates, you break their spirit. You destroy the very confidence a team needs to survive a semifinal. Against a team as tactically sharp as Morocco, we needed our best players at a hundred percent.
“Statistically, Ademola Lookman was the most dangerous player in the tournament, until that public verbal abuse broke his focus. You can’t expect a playmaker to perform a miracle on the pitch when he has been demoralised by his own teammate.
“The conflict did its damage. We didn’t just lose a game, we lost the psychological edge needed to win.
“What is worse, and frankly, what is most dangerous for our football is the fan culture that now tolerates this.”
2 Comments
Fact is Oliseh is naturally a heady and troublesome fellow. Ironically, though, he thinks he’s a voice of reason and common sense.
I was watching that podcast where he made this false assertion and I was thinking “What exactly does Oliseh stand to gain with this???”. Like what would be the positives from this, whether for himself, the players involved, the fans, or the NFF?
… Like what’s the benefit of stirring the hornet’s nest and fracturing the team’s unity – an entire 2 weeks after the incident??? What’s the motive, man!!?? There’s definitely something fundamentally wrong – beyond the surface. A deep-seated grudge for someone who was hired as a pundit for the event.
And to think Oliseh was worse during his playing days. And when he was handed the SE team, he destroyed everywhere. The worst coach to handle the SE. Finidi was even better. Of his set, Amokachi, Eguavoen, Okocha, Ikpeba, Kanu, Aiyegbeni etc, who else runs a YouTube podcasts, attacks current and ex coaches and players, and speaks recklessly like Oliseh???
Why do the others maintain dignified silence or try soothe situations, unlike smart alec Oliseh? Cos Oliseh was and is still a heady person, just now an older of it – from his playing days to his coaching stint to Holland coaching journey to his spat with Mikel Obi, Onigbinde, Okocha, and now Osimhen. Trouble, quarrel everywhere marked and ended all those relationships.
Osimhen has his shortcomings and we don’t fail to point it. New revelations about the incident even showed he was actually directing his rant to Bruno and only tried to reemphasize his points to Lookman when Lookman joked that he was already on 2 goals. It was a heat of the moment thing. The lads, like true professionals, are not even making anything out of it, as Mr Oliseh who’s trying to build a skyscraper from the small pool of water.
Mr Oliseh, you live in a glass house with very thin frames. Stop throwing stones! Why are you always attacking this new set of SE players. Are you afraid they’ll break some records set by your generation????
Me and ugo talk the same thing o. Chai oliseh you don nail am….