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Oliseh Blames Super Eagles’ Semi-Final Loss on Osimhen’s Public Rant

Posted : 22 January 2026

A former Super Eagles captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, has blamed Nigeria’s semi-final loss to Atlas Lions of Morocco on an altercation between Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen and Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman.

Oliseh said the toxic relationship, both on and off the pitch, between the two standout players badly damaged the unity of the Super Eagles.

“Let’s look at the toxicity that might have cost us (Nigeria) the AFCON title,” Oliseh said on his YouTube channel.

“We are confusing talent with licence. Victor Osimhen is world-class, but talent is not a licence to destroy team chemistry.

“Look at the evidence. Since that public outburst against Ademola Lookman, one of our brightest lights, Lookman became a shadow of himself and we lost our bite.

“When you publicly diminish your teammates, you break their spirit. You destroy the very confidence a team needs to survive a semi-final.

“Playing against a team as tactically sharp as Morocco, we needed our best players at one hundred percent.

“Statistically, Ademola Lookman was the most dangerous player in the tournament until that public verbal abuse broke his focus.

“We 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.

“What is worse, and frankly most dangerous for our football, is the fan culture that now tolerates this behaviour.”

Oliseh also warned against disrespect within the national team setup.

“Scoring goals for Nigeria doesn’t give you a licence to disrespect certified legends like Finidi George or Victor Ikpeba,” he added. “It doesn’t give you the right to disrespect your coaches or teammates.

“If we don’t fix the discipline and the administration, there won’t be a Super Eagles left to support,” Oliseh concluded.

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