Celtic winger hails Lookman ahead of Tunisia clash
Celtic winger Sebastian Tounekti has praised Ademola Lookman ahead of Nigeria’s crucial Africa Cup of Nations Group C fixture against Tunisia, describing the Super Eagles forward as a “top player”.
Attention is firmly on Saturday’s encounter in Fez, with both Nigeria and Tunisia targeting a second straight win at AFCON 2025.
Tounekti, a teammate of Kelechi Iheanacho at Celtic, is expected to line up against the Super Eagles as Tunisia look to secure maximum points.
Iheanacho conversation before Morocco trip
Speaking ahead of the match, Tounekti disclosed that he recently spoke with Iheanacho, drawing on their shared time at Celtic before heading to Morocco for the tournament.
“Both of them I know are really good, and I spoke a little bit with Iheanacho when I was in Celtic,” Tounekti said.
“He just said yeah, it was funny that we were gonna have to play against each other.”
Nigeria approach the tie buoyed by their opening victory over Tanzania, while Tunisia also made a strong start in their first group outing, setting up what is widely viewed as a potential group-defining fixture.
Lookman singled out for special praise
When asked to name the Nigerian player he admires most, Tounekti was quick to highlight Lookman, pointing to the winger’s consistency at both club and international level.
“They have a lot of quality players in that squad, but as a winger, you always look at the winger,” he said.
“For me maybe it’s Lookman. I think he’s been brilliant for the national team and also for his team, Atalanta, for a long time. He’s a top player for sure.”
Lookman has emerged as a central figure in Nigeria’s attacking structure under Eric Chelle and remains one of the team’s most reliable performers on the continental stage.
High stakes in Group C
Nigeria and Tunisia meet on Saturday at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, with kick-off set for 9:00pm local time.
Both sides are on three points from their opening matches, raising the stakes significantly.
A Super Eagles victory would put Nigeria firmly on course for the Round of 16.
