Mutiu Adepoju Says Victor Osimhen Lacks the Qualities to Captain Nigeria’s Super Eagles

The question of who should wear the Super Eagles armband has generated significant debate in Nigerian football circles, and veteran midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has entered that conversation with a clear and unambiguous position: Victor Osimhen is not yet equipped to be captain.

The leadership vacuum emerged following the international retirements of William Troost-Ekong and Ahmed Musa, both of whom had served as long-standing figures in the Nigeria dressing room ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. With those two experienced heads gone, the captaincy question became one of the most talked-about topics in Nigerian football. Ultimately, the armband was awarded to Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, with Osimhen and Moses Simon named as vice-captains.

Osimhen had been widely regarded as the frontrunner for the role. Since making his international debut in 2017, the Napoli forward has scored 35 goals in 46 appearances for Nigeria, a record that places him second on the country’s all-time top scorers list. His status as the team’s most prolific and high-profile player made him the popular choice among fans.

However, Adepoju — who represented Nigeria with distinction during his playing career — contends that on-field output alone does not qualify a player for captaincy. Speaking to PM Parrot, the former midfielder outlined what he believes a captain must bring to the role: “Leadership requires more than talent. A captain must possess playing quality, leadership ability, emotional control, and the capacity to represent and unite the team both on and off the pitch. Anyone who cannot tolerate others or control their behaviour cannot effectively lead.”

Central to Adepoju’s assessment is an incident that occurred during the 2025 AFCON, in which Osimhen was involved in a visible on-field disagreement with teammate Ademola Lookman. Adepoju was direct in his criticism of how the striker handled the situation. “Everyone may have their own perspective, but I did not approve of the way Victor Osimhen reacted,” he said. “He should have controlled his emotions. The teammate involved, Ademola Lookman, had even provided him with two assists in that match.”

The former midfielder also stressed the potential consequences of such confrontations. “Situations like that should not escalate on the field, as both players could have been sent off. Disagreements should be settled in the dressing room,” he added. “He is a passionate and determined fighter on the pitch, always eager to score. However, beyond those qualities, he must remain calm and disciplined. Players are role models, and younger generations are watching.”

The incident between Osimhen and Lookman attracted considerable attention at the time, particularly given both players’ importance to the Super Eagles setup. Lookman, who plays his club football in Serie A, has been one of Nigeria’s most creative attacking outlets, making the friction between the two forwards all the more notable.

Despite Adepoju’s reservations about Osimhen’s temperament, there is no question about the striker’s standing as Nigeria’s most dangerous goalscorer. His tally of 35 international goals from 46 games reflects a prolific return, and he remains a central figure in the team’s attacking structure under current management. The vice-captaincy role he now holds suggests that the technical staff view him as a future leader, even if the armband has been withheld for now.

With Nigeria absent from the 2026 FIFA World Cup — a source of widespread disappointment among supporters and pundits — the Super Eagles face a period of rebuilding. How Osimhen develops as a leader, both on and off the pitch, is likely to be one of the defining storylines of that process.