Team officials say there is no crisis between Osimhen and Lookman following Nigeria’s emphatic AFCON Round of 16 victory over Mozambique.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have dismissed insinuations of discord within the squad following Monday night’s 4–0 defeat of Mozambique’s Mambas, a result that sealed the three-time champions’ passage to the quarter-finals of the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Speculation had emerged after television footage showed striker Victor Osimhen making gestures towards fellow forward Ademola Lookman just before a corner kick, fuelling conjecture on social and legacy media.
Reacting to the reports, Team Administrator Dayo Enebi Achor on Tuesday evening said there was no issue whatsoever in the camp.
“There is no problem in our camp. Whatever people saw as a crisis between two brothers was resolved a couple of hours later. All is good and we are presently at training,” Achor said.
He also dismissed reports that striker Jerome Akor Adams, who scored his first AFCON goal in the match, had abandoned the team camp.
“Jerome took permission to visit his mother, who was hospitalised here in Fès, and returned in less than an hour,” Achor clarified.
Deputy captain Osimhen scored a brace against Mozambique to move his tally to 34 goals in 50 appearances for Nigeria, just three shy of the senior national team record of 37 goals set by the late Rashidi Yekini.
Lookman, who had already recorded two goals and two assists earlier in the tournament, added another goal and three assists in the Round of 16 encounter, underlining his importance to the team’s attacking play.
All 26 available players took part in Tuesday evening’s training session at the Sardienne Complex, with young defender Ryan Alebiosu still on a recovery programme.
The Super Eagles will on Thursday move base to Marrakech, where they will face the winner of the tie between Algeria’s Fennecs and DR Congo’s Leopards in Saturday’s quarter-final, scheduled to kick off at 5pm.
