Former Super Eagles media officer Toyin Ibitoye has played down concerns over the on-field confrontation between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, insisting the incident will not affect Nigeria’s campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Gatekeepers News reports that Osimhen confronted Lookman during the second half of Nigeria’s 4–0 victory over Mozambique in their last-16 clash on Monday. The Galatasaray striker was visibly upset after Lookman failed to pass to him in a promising attacking position.
Following the exchange, Osimhen demanded to be substituted and stormed down the tunnel at the final whistle, later skipping post-match media duties.
Despite the incident, Ibitoye said the situation would be handled internally and would not disrupt the team’s momentum.
“We will manage the situation because we are in a tournament setting. You don’t want anything to disrupt the rhythm that the team has built,” Ibitoye said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
“So they understand him, and I’m sure that issue has been sorted. This is not the first time in this tournament that it is happening.”
He recalled earlier moments involving Osimhen that did not negatively affect the team.
“You remember the initial game when he was quarrelling with the assistant referee and telling him, ‘Now I’ve scored a good goal, let’s see whether you can disallow this.’ You also remember him talking to the Tunisian bench and all of that. But that’s Victor for you,” Ibitoye said.
“It will be sorted, but that situation needs to be better managed. I know these boys very well — they’ll probably laugh over it.”
The disagreement contrasted sharply with the duo’s earlier display against Mozambique. Osimhen and Lookman combined brilliantly in the opening minutes, with Lookman providing the assist for Nigeria’s first goal. Both players celebrated together, sliding across the wet pitch in what appeared to be a strong show of chemistry.
Moments later, however, tensions flared as Osimhen angrily gestured at Lookman over a missed pass.
The episode sparked concern among fans and analysts, particularly after Osimhen left the stadium immediately after the match. However, Ibitoye said banter and disagreements are common within the squad.
“If you’ve been seeing a lot of their videos, Chukwueze and Bassey, you know, carrying over what happened at Fulham when Bassey was in a position to pass the ball and instead ballooned it,” he said.
“Chukwueze said, ‘You ballooned it like an amateur player.’ Later, Chukwueze had a chance to take a free kick and ballooned it, and Bassey retaliated by saying, ‘That free kick, you ballooned it like an amateur player.’”
“They are used to the banter, and I’m sure that issue will not be a problem at all for them.”
