Alex Iwobi Reflects on AFCON Bronze and Nigeria’s World Cup Heartbreak

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi underlined his growing influence in the Nigera’s setup with a series of decisive displays at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where his creativity, passing range and pre-assists proved vital to Nigeria’s campaign.

Iwobi played a key role as the Super Eagles finished third in Morocco, defeating Egypt 4–2 on penalties in the third-place playoff to secure a spot on the podium. While the bronze medal offered some consolation, it came against the backdrop of lingering disappointment following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The setback arrived in November 2025, just a month before AFCON, when Nigeria suffered a painful penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African playoffs. In the aftermath, the Nigeria Football Federation lodged a formal complaint with FIFA over the alleged use of ineligible dual-national players by DR Congo, including former Manchester United defenders Axel Tuanzebe and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Nigerian officials are hopeful that a favourable ruling could yet revive the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualification hopes.

Iwobi, who represented Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and featured in all three group matches, was asked whether he would trade the AFCON bronze medal for a place at the World Cup.

Speaking to SuperSport, the 28-year-old admitted the dilemma was a difficult one.

“We are still waiting, we are hoping we can go to the World Cup, but I feel it’s a tough one,” Iwobi said. “It’s tough because winning AFCON is a great legacy, a great thing to happen in your career, and a memorable moment.

“But at the same time, I’ve been to the World Cup already, a lot of the players haven’t. They would like to say, ‘I want to go to the World Cup’. I cannot be selfish and say win AFCON and for my teammates not to go to the World Cup. It’s a tough one, I don’t know.”

A former England youth international before committing his senior international future to Nigeria, Iwobi is now closing in on a major personal milestone. He is just three appearances away from reaching 100 caps for the Super Eagles, further cementing his status as one of the most experienced and influential figures in the national team.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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