Volcano in the Camp: Osimhen Walks Out as Nigeria’s AFCON Moment Shakes
6 January 2026
What happened on the pitch
Nigeria defeated Mozambique 4-0, sealing their place in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 quarterfinals in Morocco, a result that should have been a calm celebration for the squad. Instead, the evening pivoted on a dispute involving Victor Osimhen.
According to Soccer Net Nigeria, Osimhen threw his identification card onto the pitch and announced his exit from the squad after a heated exchange with Ademola Lookman midway through the game, an argument sparked by a missed pass during a promising buildup.
Aftermath and reactions
Osimhen left the field angry after the final whistle and even warned he might return to Turkey, prompting urgent behind‑the‑scenes involvement from senior Nigeria Football Federation officials to calm the situation.
During the match, around the 60th minute, Osimhen confronted Lookman for not passing the ball, with captain Wilfried Ndidi attempting to intervene. Reinildo of Mozambique stepped in to separate the two, and the tension cooled briefly before the match ended.
With Nigeria leading 3-0, Osimhen was substituted by Moses Simon, despite his scoring two goals earlier in the game. After the match, Lookman faced the media and said, “It’s just football. It’s always football,” adding that Osimhen is like a brother to him.
The incident cast a shadow over a night Nigeria hoped would reinforce their status as title contenders, raising questions about squad harmony ahead of the knockout rounds.
Punchline, delivered with the precision of a sharp-sighted marksman: Osimhen left the camp faster than a defender dodges a press conference. Timing is everything in football, and this time the clock owned the mic.
Punchline 2: If football drama came with a scorecard, Nigeria’s night would be a perfect strike—clean, unexpected, and somehow still more entertaining than the highlight reel.
