Positive Lookman impact with Nigeria in first match in over three months | OneFootball

Ademola Lookman starred in his first match in well over three months as Nigeria picked up a 1-0 victory over Rwanda in World Cup qualifying on Saturday evening.

Lookman had not played for club nor country since Atalanta’s 3-2 loss against Parma on the final day of the 2024-25 season on May 25 prior to his outing with Nigeria this weekend.

The 27-year-old has not featured in either of Atalanta’s first two Serie A matches of the season after a chaotic summer that did not bring the move away from Bergamo that Lookman had expected.

BERGAMO, ITALY – APRIL 06: Warm ups prior to the Serie A match between Atalanta and SS Lazio at Gewiss Stadium on April 06, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The former Everton, Leicester and Fulham forward had been pushing for a move to Inter this summer. The Nerazzurri had a €45m bid turned down by Atalanta, which led to the player handing in a formal transfer request, while accusing the club of poor treatment and breaking promises.

Despite there being an agreement in place with Atalanta that would have allowed Lookman to leave for a club outside Serie A this summer, a move away never materialised. He remains an Atalanta player, despite returning to the UK to train on his own for several weeks this summer.

Lookman impresses in Nigeria 1-0 Rwanda

Despite the fact that he has not played in any match since in three-and-a-half months, not even in any pre-season friendlies, Lookman was trusted as a starter for the Nigeria national team on Saturday evening as they secured a 1-0 win over Rwanda.

Lookman played in a no.10 role behind former Napoli centre-forward Victor Osimhen. The two combined for what briefly looked like the opening goal of the game, only for Osimhen to be flagged for offside a few moments later. He was then withdrawn with an injury 10 minutes before half time.

Lookman remained on the pitch, though, and though he was not involved in Tolu Arokodare’s goal, he did have a positive impact on the team’s overall performance according to Sunday’s post-match reports.