Founder of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has come under heavy criticism after his prediction about Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman failed to materialise at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The controversial cleric had earlier warned that Lookman would “not help” Nigeria at the tournament. However, the Atalanta star proved otherwise by scoring the decisive goal in Nigeria’s 2–1 victory over Tanzania in their opening Group match on Tuesday.
Days before the encounter, the cleric had singled out Lookman as a player the team should avoid, while also advising the technical crew to drop goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and limit the involvement of striker Victor Osimhen.
“Ademola Lookman will not help them… the coach doesn’t have luck,” Ayodele had said last Saturday, although he added that Nigeria could still reach the final “if they put the right people.”
The prophecy quickly became a subject of debate online after Lookman struck the winning goal shortly after Tanzania had drawn level, triggering widespread reactions on social media.
Media strategist, Deji Adesokan, drew attention to the development in a post on X, noting that the prediction had been contradicted by events on the pitch.
“Renowned cleric Primate Elijah Ayodele warned that Lookman would bring bad luck… the pitch proved otherwise,” he wrote.
Several Nigerian football fans also reacted sharply, questioning the credibility of the prophecy.
One user, nwaezivictor, wrote that the cleric had been “embarrassed” by Lookman’s performance, recalling that he had earlier warned against featuring the player.
Another, Omochukwu1, said he would rather listen to football analysts than religious predictions when it comes to the game, advising the cleric to focus on spiritual matters.
Others were more critical, with @iamAzeezOna accusing the cleric of making controversial prophecies for attention, while @Favvyabam quoted Deuteronomy 18:22, suggesting that unfulfilled prophecies should not be feared.
As reactions continue to trail the incident, many fans say Lookman’s performance has once again highlighted the unpredictability of football, with the Super Eagles winger letting his performance on the pitch speak louder than pre-match predictions.
