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Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign ended with a bronze medal and a lingering sense of what might have been, footynaija.com reports.
The Super Eagles beat Egypt in the third-place play-off to claim a record-extending ninth bronze, but the mood around the team has since been shaped as much by post-tournament debate as by events on the pitch.
At the centre of that debate is Victor Osimhen. Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has accused the striker of contributing to the team’s failure to go all the way in Morocco, arguing that a moment of indiscipline damaged the squad’s unity at a decisive point in the competition.
The incident Oliseh refers to came in Nigeria’s group-stage win over Mozambique, a 4-0 result that, on the surface, looked like a perfect afternoon. Osimhen scored twice and Ademola Lookman provided two assists. Yet the match was remembered for a heated exchange in the second half, when Osimhen angrily confronted Lookman for not passing to him when he appeared well placed to score.
Although Lookman and head coach Eric Chelle moved quickly to calm the situation, Oliseh believes the effect was lasting. In his view, Nigeria’s attacking rhythm and confidence never quite recovered.
“Let’s look at the toxicity that might have caused us (Nigeria) the AFCON title,” Oliseh said. “We are confusing talent with license. Victor Osimhen is world class but talent is not license to destroy team chemistry.“
Before that episode, Lookman had been one of the tournament’s outstanding performers, scoring three goals and setting up four more in his first three appearances. After it, the numbers, and the influence, faded. He did not register a goal or an assist in the 2-0 win over Algeria that followed, nor in the semi-final against Morocco, which ended goalless before Nigeria were eliminated on penalties. When he was left on the bench for the third-place play-off against Egypt, Nigeria again failed to score in open play and only prevailed in the shootout.
Oliseh draws a direct line between the confrontation and that downturn in form.
“Since that public outburst against Ademola Lookman, one of our brightest lights, Lookman became a shadow of himself and we lost the bite,” he said. “When you publicly diminish your teammates, you break their spirit… The conflict did its damage. We didn’t just lose a game, we lost the psychological edge needed to win.”
Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, moving as one. 🫶#TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 | #WePlayDifferent pic.twitter.com/DnqIqtvlGV
— TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) January 6, 2026
The former Juventus midfielder also used the episode to raise broader concerns about standards and discipline around the national team. He recalled a previous case in which Osimhen criticised former coach Finidi George in a video, arguing that repeated behaviour of that kind sets a dangerous example.
“Scoring goals for Nigeria doesn’t give you a license to disrespect certified legends like Finidi George or Victor Ikpeba,” Oliseh said. “If we don’t fix the discipline and the administration, there won’t be a Super Eagles left to support.”
None of this erases Osimhen’s importance to the team. He scored his 35th international goal against Algeria at the tournament, leaving him just two behind Rashidi Yekini’s long-standing record. But Oliseh’s verdict is clear: in major tournaments, unity can matter as much as star quality and Nigeria, he believes, paid the price for losing it.
