Former Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo has criticised calls for Victor Osimhen to be dropped from the Nigeria team, insisting the forward remains indispensable as the Super Eagles continue their Africa Cup of Nations campaign, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Nigeria secured a place in the semi-finals on Saturday with a composed 2-0 victory over Algeria in Marrakech, settling a tense contest through goals from Osimhen and Akor Adams.

The win followed earlier controversy surrounding Osimhen after a heated on-field exchange with teammate Ademola Lookman during the round of 16 win over Mozambique.

Osimhen has now scored four goals at the tournament, one behind Spain forward Brahim Diaz in the scoring chart, while his two assists have taken him to six goal contributions, also one behind Lookman.

His strike against Algeria was his 35th goal in 51 appearances for Nigeria, moving him to within two goals of Rashidi Yekini on the country’s all-time scoring list.

Speaking while analysing the quarter final on SuperSport, Ighalo dismissed suggestions that Osimhen’s behaviour had become a distraction within the camp.

He said the reaction to the incident had been exaggerated, stressing that emotional outbursts were part of elite competition.

“Well, I think the media are taking it too far,” Ighalo said.

“In games like that, there are always emotions, and there are always players who want it more and react in different ways. We have seen Ronaldo do things like that. We have seen big players do it. Though Victor is not Ronaldo, in the Nigeria team, he is the biggest player for me in that team.”

The former Manchester United striker argued that even when top players make mistakes, they should not be cast aside if a team wants to succeed.

“If Ronaldo does this to Mbappé or anyone else, are you going to send him away from the team? No. I am not saying he is Ronaldo, and I am not saying this is Zimbabwe, but in the Super Eagles, he is our biggest player. I am not saying what he did was right, because he should not have done that, and they have settled it,” he added.‎

Ighalo revealed that he spoke directly to Osimhen after the incident and confirmed that the issue had been resolved internally.

“Even after the game that day, I did not see exactly what happened. I spoke to him, and he told me what Lookman said to him that made him react that way. I told him that next time he should not react like that. They sorted it out in the dressing room, and they settled it. They are friends,” he said.

The row occurred during Nigeria’s 4-0 victory over Mozambique in Fès, when Osimhen, chasing a hat-trick with the Super Eagles already three goals ahead, reacted angrily after not receiving a pass from Lookman and Bruno Onyemaechi.

The confrontation escalated into a verbal exchange that required intervention from captain Wilfred Ndidi, Mozambique defender Reinildo Mandava and teammate Calvin Bassey.

Osimhen was later substituted after asking to be taken off.

Despite that episode, Ighalo insisted Osimhen’s commitment to the national side could not be questioned.

“You cannot fault his commitment to the national team. He fights, he scores goals, he does everything for the national team,” he said, adding that the striker’s intensity was often a source of motivation rather than concern.

He also praised the handling of the situation by head coach Eric Chelle, saying the matter had been dealt with calmly behind closed doors.

“You do not take your best player out of the team, no matter what. You just have to settle it. I like the way the coach handled it inside the dressing room and did not make a big problem out of it,” Ighalo said.

With Osimhen back among the goals against Algeria and Nigeria through to the last four, Ighalo believes the focus should now remain firmly on the Super Eagles’ pursuit of the title rather than internal disputes already put to rest.