“I like the fact that they both had an argument on the pitch…It Shows They Are Working Hard” — Mikel Obi reacts to viral outburst between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman
Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, has shared his thoughts on the on-field disagreement between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, insisting that such moments are a healthy sign of competitiveness rather than a problem.
Mikel made the remarks while speaking on his Obi One Podcast, where he reacted to the brief argument between the two forwards during Nigeria’s recent match. According to him, the exchange reflected passion, hunger, and a strong desire to win, qualities he believes are common among successful teams.
“I like the fact that they both had an argument on the pitch. I like that they had a f+ght on the pitch. I want to see that,” Mikel said. He explained that players who genuinely care about winning will naturally demand more from each other during games, even if it leads to heated moments.
Drawing from his experience at Chelsea and with the national team, the former midfielder noted that trophy-winning teams are rarely built on excessive friendliness. “I’ve never seen a nice team that wins trophies,” he added, stressing that strong personalities often clash because they are driven by high standards.
Mikel concluded by saying that as long as such disagreements stay on the pitch and are resolved quickly, they can strengthen team spirit. He described the competitiveness shown by Osimhen and Lookman as a positive sign for Nigeria as the team continues to build towards future tournaments.