In the 65th minute, with Nigeria already leading 3-0, cameras captured a visible and aggressive exchange between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
The Incident: What Really Happened?
The spat occurred just before a Nigerian corner kick. Osimhen, who had already scored twice, appeared visibly furious with Lookman, gesturing wildly and shouting at the Atalanta winger.
• The Trigger: Insider reports suggest the frustration stemmed from a sequence of play where Osimhen felt Lookman chose to shoot rather than square the ball for his hat-trick.
• The Confrontation: The two players had to be briefly separated by teammates before Lookman eventually took the corner.
• The Aftermath: Interestingly, manager Eric Chelle substituted Osimhen just four minutes later, bringing on Moses Simon. Osimhen's face on the bench told a story of lingering frustration.
"Big Talent, Poor Character?" — The Backlash
The argument has ignited a firestorm on social media. While some fans see it as "elite winning mentality," others—including high-ranking officials—are not pleased.
"Big talent, but poor character. Osimhen is very disrespectful to his teammates, especially when things don't go his way. He needs to cut them some slack," wrote Ibraheem Abdullateef, a senior Nigerian government aide, in a viral post on X.
The Stats: Can They Play Together?
Despite the drama, the numbers suggest that when these two are on the pitch, Nigeria is unstoppable.
| Metric (AFCON 2025) | Victor Osimhen | Ademola Lookman |
| Goals Scored | 3 | 3 |
| Assists | 2 | 4 |
| Combined Goal Involvements | 5 | 7 |
| Team Status | Quarter-Finalists | Round of 16 Best XI |
Trouble in Paradise or Just Passion?
Manager Eric Chelle downplayed the incident in the post-match press conference, calling it "hunger for glory." However, with a massive Quarter-Final clash against either Algeria or DR Congo looming, the Super Eagles cannot afford any fractures in their camp.
If Nigeria is to bring home their fourth AFCON title, they need their two "African Footballers of the Year" to be on the same page, not each other's throats.