By Naomi Jeremiah
Ademola Lookman has moved to shut down lingering speculation of a rift with Victor Osimhen after sharing a celebratory photo of both players on his Instagram page with the caption “TOGETHER ALWAYS”, days after their on-field confrontation during Nigeria’s 4–0 win over Mozambique at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The image, which shows Lookman and Osimhen celebrating together in Nigeria colours, comes amid widespread debate over a heated exchange between the duo during Monday’s Group Stage encounter at the Fez Stadium.
Nigeria cruised past the Mambas with Osimhen scoring twice, while Lookman and Akor Adams also found the net. However, the convincing victory was overshadowed by a moment shortly after the hour mark when Osimhen appeared to confront Lookman for failing to release a pass in a promising scoring position.
The situation escalated when the Galatasaray striker later requested to be substituted and was seen heading straight down the tunnel at full time, fueling reports of unrest within the Super Eagles camp.
While Lookman, who was named Man of the Match, dismissed claims of any fallout during his post-match interview, the incident sparked intense reactions from fans, ex-internationals and football stakeholders.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) subsequently played down the situation, insisting the matter had been resolved internally.
“There is no problem whatsoever in our camp. Whatever people saw as a crisis between two brothers was easily resolved a couple of hours later. All is good,” Team Administrator Dayo Enebi said in a statement.
Super Eagles Media Officer Promise Efoghe also dismissed reports suggesting Osimhen threatened to leave the team’s camp, reiterating that the issue had been handled internally.
Despite the assurances, opinions remained divided, with some former players calling for disciplinary action, while others described the episode as a normal consequence of competitive football at the highest level.
Speaking to ESPN, Captain Wilfred Ndidi described the exchange as a reflection of the team’s hunger for success.
“It was just a competitive mindset. We wanted more, and when two people really want it, this is what happens,” Ndidi said. “We spoke about it in the dressing room, everything is fine.”
Lookman’s Instagram post now appears to reinforce those claims, offering a public show of unity ahead of Nigeria’s quarter-final clash against Algeria in Marrakesh.
The Super Eagles will face the North Africans on Saturday after Algeria edged DR Congo 1–0 after extra time to book their place in the last eight.
Culled from: Punchng