Former Nigerian international and one-time AFCON winner Sunday Oliseh has warned Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen that no player is above discipline or respect, stressing that team harmony must always take precedence over individual brilliance.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former Juventus midfielder blamed Nigeria’s failure to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on what he described as a disruptive public outburst by Osimhen towards teammate Ademola Lookman at a critical stage of the tournament.
“We are confusing talent with licence,” Oliseh said. “Victor Osimhen is world class, but talent is not a licence to destroy team chemistry.”
Oliseh argued that the incident severely affected the team’s chemistry and momentum, particularly ahead of the semi-final clash with Morocco.
“Since that public outburst against Ademola Lookman, one of our brightest lights, Lookman became a shadow of himself and we lost the bite,” Oliseh said. “When you publicly diminish your teammates, you break their spirit.
“Statistically, Ademola Lookman was the most dangerous player in the tournament until that public verbal abuse broke his focus,” he said. “You can’t expect a player to perform miracles 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.”
The former Super Eagles captain further pointed to what he described as a pattern of behaviour from Osimhen, recalling an earlier incident in which the striker publicly criticised former national team coach Finidi George.
“Scoring goals for Nigeria doesn’t give you a licence to disrespect certified legends like Finidi George or Victor Ikpeba. 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,” he said, while also criticising a fan culture he believes now tolerates behaviour that undermines team unity.
Nigeria eventually settled for bronze after defeating Egypt in Saturday’s third-place playoff, claiming a record-extending ninth AFCON third-place finish.
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