Lukman Eases Tension, Nigeria Hammer Mozambique 4-0
6 January 2026
Lukman’s steadying display guides Nigeria past Mozambique
Ademola Lookman, Atalanta star and Nigeria's captain, eased the crisis that erupted between him and teammate Victor Osimhen, forward for the Eagles, during the Round of 16 clash with Mozambique, in the Africa Cup of Nations now staged in Morocco.
Lookman continued his stellar form in the tournament after scoring one goal and delivering two assists in Nigeria's emphatic 4-0 win over Mozambique, guiding his country into the quarter-finals.
Around the 60th minute, the two shared a heated moment on the pitch, over a missed pass from Lookman to Osimhen.
Osimhen reacted angrily, replying sharply: "Man, it's a team game, it's a team game", before Wilfred Ndidi and Mozambique players separated the players.
After Osimhen refused post-match interviews, Lookman faced Nigerian press, asked whether there were distractions in the squad, and said: "It's just football. It's always football".
He refrained from any taunt and said: "He (Osimhen) is my brother".
LiveScore stats showed Lookman had been Nigeria's most prolific contributor, involved in seven goals (three scored, four created) in just three matches.
Amid the flare, fans joked that football is a contact sport only when the coach signs the contract.
In the end, Nigeria laughed off the incident, the scoreboard spoke louder: four, Osimhen zero, and excuses nowhere.
Punchline 1: If football were a sniper, the scoreboard would be the target—but Nigeria hit the bullseye anyway.
Punchline 2: And if comedy counted as cardio, Osimhen and Lookman just sprinted Nigeria into the quarters with a smile.
