Alex Iwobi Opens Up on Organisational Challenges With Super Eagles

Alex Iwobi has opened up about some of the organisational challenges he experienced while representing the Nigeria national football team, revealing that he occasionally had to arrange his own travel during international duty.

The midfielder explained that the structure and organisation he experienced while representing the youth teams of the England national football team were significantly different.

“With England, it’s a bit more strict. You’re in St. George’s Park or you’re in a hotel, no one’s allowed to come in, strict food, strict regime, that’s it,” Iwobi said, referring to England’s national football centre, St George’s Park National Football Centre.

According to the former Arsenal midfielder, his early experiences with Nigeria were quite different, especially during his first involvement with the under-23 team.

“Nigeria now… sometimes your flight’s not booked properly, you have to book your own flight. You get there and sometimes the people at the airport are not ready to pick you up, so you have to make your own way,” he explained.

Iwobi also spoke about some of the conditions players occasionally faced while in camp.

“The hotels are okay. Sometimes the light goes, sometimes you don’t have anywhere to charge your phone. England, no one’s allowed in the hotel. Nigeria, people can come in your room whenever they want.”

Despite the challenges, the Fulham midfielder said his family played a key role in encouraging him to give Nigeria a chance before deciding which country to represent.

“My uncle and my dad said, just at least try once with Nigeria. So I tried the under-23s just to see, and then I could compare what I prefer.”

The former England youth international admitted the decision required serious consideration at the time but stressed that he has no regrets about choosing Nigeria.

“It took a lot of convincing at the time… but I have no regrets. I did love England, but because I grew up in a Nigerian household, Nigeria has always been a part of me.”

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.

See Full Bio