Sunday Oliseh, former Super Eagles captain, has blamed Victor Osimhen’s indiscipline for Nigeria’s failure to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Oliseh said Osimhen’s public outburst at teammate Ademola Lookman disrupted team unity at a critical stage of the tournament and ultimately affected Nigeria’s title push.
Oliseh referenced an on-field confrontation between Osimhen and Lookman during Nigeria’s 4-0 victory over Mozambique in the Round of 16.
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The win was overshadowed by an incident in the second half when the Galatasaray striker angrily confronted the Atalanta winger for failing to pass the ball to him in a promising scoring position.
The altercation sparked widespread reaction on social media, with many Nigerian fans criticising Osimhen for what they described as indiscipline and unprofessional conduct.
“Let’s look at the toxicity that might have cost us the AFCON title,” Oliseh said.
“We are confusing talent with licence. Victor Osimhen is world-class, but talent is not a license to destroy team chemistry.”
The former Ajax and Juventus midfielder, who also coached the Super Eagles between 2015 and 2016, claimed the incident negatively affected Lookman’s confidence and overall contribution to the team.
“Look at the evidence. Since that public outburst against Ademola Lookman, one of our brightest lights, he became a shadow of himself, and we lost our bite,” Oliseh added.
“When you publicly diminish your teammates, you break their spirit. You destroy the very confidence a team needs to survive a semi-final. Against a team as tactically sharp as Morocco, we needed our best players at 100 per cent.
“Statistically, Ademola Lookman was the most dangerous player in the tournament until that public verbal abuse broke his focus. You can’t expect a playmaker to perform miracles on the pitch when he has been demoralised by his own teammate.
“The conflict did its damage. We didn’t just lose a game; we lost the psychological edge needed to win.”
Nigeria eventually finished third at the 2025 AFCON, defeating Egypt 4–2 on penalties after a goalless draw in regulation time.
