Super Eagles winger Moses Simon has played down suggestions of internal division within the Nigeria camp, insisting the squad remains fully united and focused on winning the Africa Cup of Nations.
His comments follow a widely discussed on-field exchange between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman during Nigeria’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Mozambique in the round of 16, an incident that fuelled speculation ahead of the quarter-final clash with Algeria.
Lookman was quick to dismiss any fallout, describing Osimhen as his “brother”, and Simon echoed that sentiment while addressing the media ahead of Saturday’s showdown.
“It’s a team play,” Simon said. “We are all a team, and of course we are united, as you can see.”
The Nantes forward acknowledged the importance and stature of both players, pointing out that individual brilliance exists to serve the collective.
“We play for them [Lookman and Osimhen]; they are the two African Best Players,” he noted, referencing their back-to-back continental accolades.
However, Simon was clear that personal recognition has no place in a tournament of this magnitude.
“We are working altogether as a team. There is no time for who is the best and who is not the best,” he stressed. “The most important thing is that the team is the best. We just want to win.”
With Nigeria preparing to face Algeria in a high-stakes Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final on Saturday, January 10, Simon’s message reinforces a single objective within the Super Eagles camp: unity, focus, and victory.
