The camp of Nigeria’s Super Eagles has shot down insinuations and dark innuendoes of a rumpus in the team following Monday night’s 4-0 thrashing of Mozambique’s Mambas, which progressed the three-time champions to the last-8 of the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.
Striker Victor Osimhen was seen making gestures to fellow forward Ademola Lookman just before a corner kick, and conjectures of various complexions have followed in the legacy and digital media.
“There is no problem whatsoever in our camp. Whatever people saw as a crisis between two brothers was easily resolved a couple of hours later. All is good and we are presently at training,” Team Administrator Dayo Enebi Achor confirmed on Tuesday evening.
Achor also dismissed reports that striker Jerome Akor Adams – who scored his first ever AFCON goal on the night – abandoned the team camp. “He took permission to go and see his mother who was hospitalized here in Fès, and returned in less than an hour.”
Deputy captain Osimhen netted a brace in the encounter to move to 34 goals in 50 matches for Nigeria – only three less than the Nigeria senior record of 37 goals by ‘Goalsfather’ Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory).
Ademola Lookman, who had two goals and two assists before the match, having played in the games against Tanzania and Tunisia while sitting out the encounter with Uganda, added another goal and three exquisite assists on the night.
All the 26 available players (young defender Ryan Alebiosu continues on his recovery path) were involved in Tuesday evening’s session at the Sardienne Complex.
The three-time champions will on Thursday move to the city of Marrakech, where they will play the winner between Algeria’s Fennecs and DR Congo’s Leopards in Saturday’s quarter-final duel scheduled to kick off at 5pm.
