“My AFCON prophecy on Lookman is being misrepresented” — Primate Ayodele

Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has said his prophecy concerning the Super Eagles’ campaign at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations has been misrepresented and misunderstood by the public.

The cleric made the clarification following criticism from football fans who accused him of wrongly predicting that Ademola Lookman would not be effective for Nigeria at the tournament. Ayodele had earlier warned that some players should not be overly relied upon, mentioning Lookman among those he believed would not significantly help the team. He also advised the technical crew to consider an alternative to first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, cautioned against playing Victor Osimhen for full matches, and maintained that Nigeria would avoid an early exit if his advice was followed.

In his words, Ayodele had said the coach lacked luck, which could affect the team, but insisted that with the right decisions Nigeria could reach the final. He also stated that Lookman would not help the team and that changes were needed in goal.

However, Lookman went on to score the winning goal in Nigeria’s opening Group C match against Tanzania, sealing a 2–1 victory and drawing widespread criticism of the prophecy.

Responding in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele said his comments were being deliberately twisted. He explained that his prophecy was not about the Tanzania match specifically but about Lookman’s overall impact across the tournament.

According to the statement, Ayodele described the prophecy as a warning, noting that only one match had been played and that a single game could not determine the outcome of the entire competition. He urged the public to wait until the tournament progresses further before passing judgment.

Ayodele added that his remarks were motivated by his desire to see Nigeria succeed at the competition. He said it would bring him great joy for the Super Eagles to win the trophy, stressing that he has always supported the national team and offered prophecies in what he believes is their best interest. He concluded by saying Nigeria’s success would depend on heeding the right advice and making the necessary adjustments.