Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has criticised striker Victor Osimhen, attributing Nigeria’s failure to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco to what he described as indiscipline that disrupted team unity at crucial moments.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Oliseh said Osimhen’s public confrontation with teammate Ademola Lookman during Nigeria’s 4–0 Round of 16 victory over Mozambique undermined the squad’s cohesion.
He noted that the Galatasaray forward rebuked the Atalanta winger for not releasing the ball in a promising attacking situation, an incident Oliseh said had lasting repercussions.
“Let’s look at the toxicity that might have cost us the AFCON title. We are confusing talent with licence. Victor Osimhen is world-class, but talent is not a license to destroy team chemistry,” Oliseh said.

He added that Lookman’s form declined noticeably after the confrontation, affecting Nigeria’s attacking edge in the semifinal against Morocco.
Oliseh argued that publicly undermining teammates diminishes their confidence, which is essential in high-stakes matches.
He said, “When you publicly diminish your teammates, you break their spirit. You destroy the very confidence a team needs to survive a semi-final. Against a team as tactically sharp as Morocco, we needed our best players at 100 per cent.”

The former captain also criticised fan culture for tolerating such behaviour, warning that unchecked excess among key players could have long-term consequences for Nigerian football.
He referenced Osimhen’s earlier public criticism of former Super Eagles coach Finidi George as another example of behaviour that exceeds acceptable bounds.
“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 goals alone justified arrogance, what should the legends who put Nigeria at the pinnacle of world football, like Amokachi, Amunike, Okocha, Babangida and myself, do? Walk on people’s heads?” Oliseh asked.

He also expressed concern over the celebrations following Nigeria’s third-place finish, achieved through a penalty shootout against Egypt after a 0–0 draw in regulation time.
Oliseh suggested that excessive celebration of third place contributes to a culture of mediocrity.

“There was a time the Super Eagles shed tears at second place, because to us anything but the trophy was a failure; celebrating third place built a culture of mediocrity,” he said.
While acknowledging Osimhen’s importance to the national team, Oliseh emphasised that no individual should be allowed to undermine collective effort, stressing that discipline and respect are as important as talent on the pitch.