Let’s be honest, what happened between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman during Nigeria’s match against Mozambique left a sour taste.
Not because Nigeria dropped points, not because the performance was poor, but because a moment that should have been about unity turned into an unnecessary public display of frustration.
Osimhen is the face of Nigerian football right now. The passion he brings to the table is evident. He fights for every ball, presses like his life depends on it, and carries the weight of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders. But that same fire, when uncontrolled, becomes a problem and that is exactly what we saw.
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The incident with Lookman was avoidable. Lookman made a decision on the ball that didn’t go Osimhen’s way, and instead of regrouping, Osimhen chose to explode.
The gestures, the visible anger, the body language all of it played out in front of cameras, teammates, and millions of fans. That moment was bigger than the two of them, and Osimhen should have known that.
Lookman, on the other hand, handled it with maturity, his kind of composure is needed in international football, where emotions run high and the pressure of national duty can crack the toughest players.
This isn’t about taking sides, it’s about standards. When you wear the Super Eagles jersey, you don’t just represent yourself, you represent over 200 million people.
Disagreements will happen. Mistakes will happen. But public confrontation between teammates weakens the team’s spirit and hands unnecessary ammunition to critics.
That said, it’s also important to understand Osimhen’s perspective. He is a striker whose entire career is built on hunger, urgency, and obsession with winning.
He demands excellence because he holds himself to that same standard. The problem isn’t the passion, it’s the delivery. Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the storm; it’s about keeping the ship steady.
If anything, this incident should serve as a reminder that the Super Eagles are at their best when they operate as brothers, not competitors. Osimhen’s fire is needed. Lookman’s calm is needed. Nigeria needs both.
Football is emotional. Great teams learn how to channel those emotions in the right direction. Hopefully, this was just a small spark and not the start of a bigger fire.
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Chai, it is well o