Lookman insists ‘it’s just football’ after on-pitch row with Osimhen

Ademola Lookman assured supporters that Victor Osimhen is his ‘brother’ and that ‘it’s just football’ after the pair engaged in a heated argument on the pitch during Tuesday evening’s AFCON round of 16 match between Nigeria and Mozambique. 

What happened between Lookman and Osimhen at AFCON?

Atalanta’s Lookman has provided an excellent return at the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring three goals and providing five assists from three outings to help Nigeria qualify for the quarter-finals. 

He scored the opening goal of the game and provided the other three assists in an eventual 4-0 victory over Mozambique in the competition’s round of 16 on Monday night. 

The game was not without its controversies, though, as Lookman and former Napoli star Osimhen were seen arguing in a heated manner on the pitch just after the hour mark. 

Osimhen could be heard furiously shouting “it’s a team game,” before gesticulating towards Lookman in the penalty area before a corner kick was taken. That is despite the fact that the Atalanta man had already provided Osimhen with two assists on the night by that point.

Scintille Lookman-Osimhen

Nonostante il 3-0 delle Super Eagles sul Mozambico la tensione in casa Nigeria è altissimaScintille in campo tra #Lookman e #Osimhen : l’attaccante del Galatasaray perde la testa contro il compagno di squadra#TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 #Sportitalia pic.twitter.com/7VLGFRHgtH

— Sportitalia (@tvdellosport) January 5, 2026

Super Eagles captain Wilfried Ndidi calmed matters during a post-match interview, insisting that the incident was down to “competitive mindset,” and that the team simply “wanted more goals” at that moment in time.

Lookman also had his say on the incident after full-time, telling reporters that “there’s no issue. It’s just football, it’s always football.” 

And when asked if he had a message to send to Osimhen, he simply replied: “He’s my brother.”