AFCON 2023: Alex Iwobi raises concerns about pitch condition ahead of Cameroon tie

The quality of pitches for the tournament has generated  among stakeholders and fans s the Super Eagles prepare for their Round of 16 clash against arch-rivals Cameroon.

Recently, Arsenal hero Ian Wright described the playing surface of the Alassane Ouattara Stadium as “ridiculous” when Nigeria defeated the hosts, Ivory Coast 1-0.

The Super Eagles star currently on AFCON duties pointed out that in some instances, they have to forgo their preferred style of “pretty football” due to the pitch conditions.

The former Arsenal man, however, acknowledged that the poor pitch are not to excuse for the team’s unacceptable performance, while he made a comparison to well-maintained Premier League pitches.

“We cannot play pretty football due to the pitch. It’s not easy to maintain a good pitch,” during a chat with Osasu Obayiuwana via X.

“For the first game (against Equatorial Guinea) we had a good pitch. But the stadium has been used, the grass has been used and it’s not going to stay the same.

“Sometimes, we have to change our tactics, because we can’t play the pretty football we want to play.

“If it’s a problem for us, it’s a problem for the other team. It’s different from the Premier League, where 90% of the pitches are well looked after.”