Former Super Eagles and Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo, has opined on Victor Osimhen’s row with Ademola Lookman, Soccernet.ng reports.
In the clash against Mozambique, the duo had already scored, with Victor Osimhen on a double, when the clash broke out in the 63rd minute after failing to receive a pass.
Bruno Onyemaechi found himself in unfamiliar territory on the edge of the Mozambican box, and with Osimhen free on the right, the full-back opted to go for goal himself, which initially put the striker off.
The ball then fell to Lookman, who opted to recycle possession rather than keep the attack going. Osimhen lashed out, telling the Atalanta forward, “Hey, this is a team game,” to which Lookman replied, “But you already scored two goals.”
Captain Wilfred Ndidi’s attempt to calm the Galatasaray striker down was met with a cold shoulder, and Osimhen was taken off shortly afterwards as he refused to involve himself in the passage of play.
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Odion Ighalo spoke to Osimhen after Lookman clash
While the Galatasaray striker hasn’t publicly addressed the situation, he made up for it with a brilliant display against Algeria, scoring a goal and setting up Akor Adams at Stade de Marrakech last night.
Ighalo, on punditry duties with Super Sports admitted the situation was blown out of proportion by the media.
“Well, I think the media took it too far because in games like that, emotions will always flare, and there’ll be players who will always want it more in a different way,” the former Granada striker said.
“We’ve seen Ronaldo and other big players do something like that. Though Victor is not Ronaldo, but in the Nigerian team, he’s the biggest player for me,
“After the game, I didn’t see what happened, but I spoke to him, and he revealed it was what Lookman said that made him react that way.
“I then told him not to react that way next time. Sort it out in the dressing room, and they did that and are now friends again.
“I know Osimhen, you cannot fault his commitment to the National team, he scores goals and does everything for the national team.
“The calm Osimhen does not play well. To get the best out of him, he has to play angry.
“The media is trying to drag him forward and saying take him out, the team cannot work. You don’t take your best player out of the game,” Ighalo continued.
“You just have to settle it, and I like the way the coach went about it in the dressing room. He didn’t make a big problem out of it.
“You cannot send a Ronaldo or Mbappe out of the team. Again, not saying Osimhen is a Ronaldo, but, in the Super Eagles, he’s our star.
“I’m not saying what he did was right; he shouldn’t have done that, but you can’t tell him to get away from the team.
“If you want to win the tournament, you need to get Victor Osimhen firing,” the AFCON 2019 Golden Boot winner concluded.
For Osimhen and his Super Eagles teammates, they face their biggest AFCON 2025 test yet on Wednesday as they take on the host, Morocco.
