Sports

Osimhen Booed by Fans After Heated Exchange With Lookman

Published by admin on January 6th, 2026.

Osimhen Booed by Fans After Heated Exchange With Lookman

Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has come under heavy criticism from Nigerian football fans following a tense moment with teammate Ademola Lookman during Nigeria’s emphatic 4–0 win over Mozambique in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 on Monday.

The incident occurred in the 63rd minute when Lookman missed an opportunity to pass to Osimhen, who was unmarked in front of goal. Television cameras caught the Galatasaray striker reacting angrily, shouting at Lookman in frustration.

At the time, Lookman had already been influential in the match, having created two scoring chances for Osimhen — one resulting in a goal and another involving Akor Adams. Despite this, Osimhen was seen breaking away from captain **Wilfred Ndidi**, pointing at Lookman and repeatedly voicing his displeasure. He was later heard saying in pidgin, “No try am again,” loosely translated as “don’t do that again.”

Moments later, Osimhen requested to be substituted. As he left the pitch to be replaced by **Moses Simon**, sections of the crowd booed him, a reaction that quickly spilled onto social media.

Fans on X (formerly Twitter) expressed disappointment at what they described as an unnecessary outburst, especially given Nigeria’s commanding lead and overall team performance.

One user, **Emma Ik Umeh (@emmaikumeh)**, criticised the striker’s conduct, pointing out that Lookman had earlier assisted Osimhen, calling the behaviour “unwarranted and irritating.” Others described the episode as immature, unnecessary, and unprofessional, urging the forward to show more composure on the pitch.

Despite the controversy, Osimhen delivered a strong performance on the scoresheet, netting two goals. Lookman also impressed, contributing a goal and two assists as Nigeria secured their fourth straight win of the tournament and booked a place in the quarter-finals.

The Super Eagles will now prepare to face either **Algeria** or **DR Congo** in the last eight as they continue their quest for a first AFCON title since 2013.