The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has stirred renewed discussion around prophecy and spiritual discernment after reflecting on a controversial prediction related to Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, campaign.
Speaking at a recent programme at the RCCG Redemption City,
Adeboye cautioned believers to apply wisdom when responding to prophetic
pronouncements, warning against the rising trend of what he described as
questionable or sensational prophecies.
Although he did not mention any individual by name, the
cleric made reference to a widely shared prophecy credited to Primate Elijah
Ayodele, who reportedly advised ahead of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco that Super
Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman should not be included in the national team.
The prophecy, which gained traction on social media, was
interpreted by many as foretelling misfortune or underperformance for the
Atalanta forward.
However, subsequent events on the field appeared to
undermine that narrative.
Lookman went on to score the winning goal in Nigeria’s 2–1
opening victory over Tanzania and delivered an impressive performance against
Tunisia, netting once and providing two assists in a dramatic 3–2 win that
secured the Super Eagles a place in the knockout stage.
Recalling the episode, Adeboye said he found the situation
amusing when he came across the prophecy.
“I was laughing when I read that a prophet said that if we
wanted to win a match, a particular player must not be selected, and they
ignored him, and the same player scored the winning goal.
“I just said, glory be to God,” he told the congregation.
While acknowledging the place of genuine prophecy in the
Christian faith, Adeboye stressed the need for caution, urging believers not to
treat every spiritual claim as divinely inspired.
Referencing biblical examples, he noted that true
breakthroughs are achieved through authentic divine direction rather than
dramatic or attention-seeking declarations.
“Be careful how you handle a prophet that God has truly sent
to you,” he warned, adding that his comments were not directed at the many
self-acclaimed prophets seeking relevance.
Adeboye also took a moment to clarify his own role within
the church. “I am not a prophet; I am a pastor,” he said. “It is only that once
in a while, God speaks to me, and I believe many of you will not forget what
you have heard today.”
His remarks come amid ongoing public debate in Nigeria over
the role of faith and prophecy in sports, particularly during emotionally
charged tournaments like the AFCON.
Primate Ayodele, for his part, has since defended his
earlier comments, maintaining that they were misunderstood and should be
evaluated within the context of the entire tournament rather than based on
individual matches.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com