The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has said his comments about the Super Eagles’ performance at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations have been wrongly interpreted.
His clarification follows criticism from some football fans who claimed he predicted that forward Ademola Lookman would not be effective for Nigeria.
Speaking last Saturday, the cleric had cautioned that certain players should not be overly relied upon, mentioning Lookman among those he believed would not significantly help the team. He also advised the coaching crew to consider an alternative to first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, suggested that Victor Osimhen should not play full matches, and insisted Nigeria would avoid an early exit if the right decisions were taken.
“The coach doesn’t have luck, and that will affect us. But we won’t be eliminated early if the right people are put in place. Ademola Lookman will not help them; they need an alternative to Nwabali. We can get to the final,” Ayodele had said.
However, Lookman went on to score the winning goal in Nigeria’s opening Group C match against Tanzania, sealing a 2–1 victory and sparking backlash against the prophet from fans.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele said his prophecy had been twisted by what he described as mischievous individuals. He explained that his remarks were about Lookman’s overall impact in the tournament, not his performance in a single match.
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“My prophecy about Ademola Lookman in this AFCON is being misrepresented. What I said was that Lookman will not help the team in the tournament, not specifically in the match against Tanzania,” he said.
He added that it was too early to judge the accuracy of his comments, noting that only one game has been played so far. According to him, the prophecy was meant as a warning and not an attack on the player.
Primate Ayodele stressed that his intention was to see the Super Eagles succeed. “It would be my greatest joy if the Nigerian team wins the trophy. I have always supported the team, and my advice is aimed at helping them return home victorious,” he said.
