Media personality Tacha has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Super Eagles captain Victor Osimhen following Nigeria’s emphatic 4–0 victory over Mozambique in the round of 16 at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
The incident, which happened during Monday’s match, showed Osimhen visibly confronting teammate Ademola Lookman on the pitch, even though Lookman had earlier provided an assist for one of Osimhen’s goals. Nigeria’s dominant display sealed a comfortable passage into the quarter-finals, but the heated exchange quickly became the main talking point after the game.
As criticism mounted online, Tacha took to her verified X (formerly Twitter) account to defend the former Napoli striker, accusing some Nigerians of being overly harsh and biased against him. In a strongly worded post, she questioned why similar behaviour from global football stars is often excused, while Osimhen is heavily scrutinised.
“Nigerians and see finish!! Y’all realize Victor Osimhen is our own Christiano Ronaldo?? If Ronaldo did same thing we won’t have this much uproar but of course it’s Osimhen na. Make coach just bench Osimhen for the next match I WON. Baba was on to a hat-trick! You expect him not to shout!? Make una dey calm down! Most of orna no just like am plain and simple. SAME passion is the reason he’s one of the best attacker in world!! So Abeg shift,” she wrote.
The video clips circulating online showed Osimhen charging towards Lookman, who appeared calm throughout the exchange. Moments later, Osimhen gestured towards the bench and was substituted in the second half. At the final whistle, he walked straight down the tunnel without celebrating with his teammates, drawing mixed reactions from fans inside the stadium, with some reportedly booing.
Speaking after the match, Lookman downplayed the situation and insisted there was no issue between both players. He stressed that such moments are part of the game and do not reflect any deeper problem within the team.
“No, I have not seen him yet. Nothing happened. It was just a discussion on the pitch. That is it. It’s just football. It’s always football. He is my brother,” Lookman said.
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle also addressed the incident briefly, noting that the matter would be handled internally and insisting it would not affect team unity as Nigeria prepares for the quarter-final stage of the tournament.
