The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen threatened to quit the national team and return to Turkey following an on-field altercation with Ademola Lookman at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Reports initially claimed that Osimhen was furious during Nigeria’s emphatic 4-0 round of 16 victory over Mozambique on Monday after Lookman failed to pass to him in the 64th minute, despite having already provided two assists for the striker earlier in the match.
Osimhen, who scored twice in the encounter, was seen angrily confronting Lookman, pulling away from captain Wilfred Ndidi, and later signalling to the bench to be substituted. He was eventually replaced by Moses Simon, with sections of the crowd booing his exit.
According to Arise News, the Galatasaray forward allegedly stormed out of the stadium after the final whistle, dropped his accreditation card, and insisted he was “done” with the national team, expressing a desire to return to Turkey. He was, however, reportedly calmed by senior NFF officials.
In a swift response, a senior NFF official has refuted claims that Osimhen intended to leave the AFCON camp. The clarification was disclosed by FIFA and CAF-accredited journalist Adepoju Samuel via his X handle on Tuesday.
“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 incident sparked criticism from Nigerian football fans on social media, with many questioning Osimhen’s conduct despite the team’s dominant performance. Footage of the confrontation showed Osimhen pointing angrily at Lookman and shouting in pidgin, “No try am again,” meaning “do not try that again.”
Reacting to the controversy, Lookman on Tuesday shared photos of himself with Osimhen and Bruno Onyemaechi from the match on his Instagram page, captioning the post, “TOGETHER ALWAYS,” signalling unity within the squad.
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle and team captain Wilfred Ndidi have also played down the incident, insisting there is no rift between the players and urging Nigerians to continue supporting the team.
Nigeria will now turn its attention to the quarter-final clash against either Algeria or DR Congo as the Super Eagles continue their AFCON 2025 campaign.