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AFCON 2025: Alex Iwobi equals Austin Okocha and Mikel Obi’s line breaking passes record

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AFCON 2025: Alex Iwobi equals Austin Okocha and Mikel Obi’s line breaking passes record

Nigeria midfielder Alex Iwobi has surpassed all other players at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in terms of line-breaking passes, as reported by the statisticians at Opta.

Iwobi has achieved a total of 36 line-breaking passes during the knockout stages of Afcon 2025, marking the highest number recorded by any player at this stage of the tournament.

His tally breakdown reveals 22 line-breaking passes made in Nigeria’s Round of 16 match against Mozambique, along with an additional 14 in the quarter-final match against Algeria.

The Fulham midfielder played a crucial role in Nigeria’s 4–0 win over Mozambique, where his midfield passing significantly aided the team in advancing the ball through central areas.

His contributions to advancing play were key as the Super Eagles progressed to the quarter-final stage.

Earlier in the tournament, Iwobi also provided two assists during Nigeria’s opening group-stage victory over Tanzania.

In the match against Algeria, the Hale End Academy graduate achieved a memorable milestone, equaling a Nigerian record that is jointly held by former Afcon champions Austin Okocha, Muda Lawal, and John Obi Mikel.

Among Nigerian midfielders in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, Iwobi, Okocha, Mikel, and Lawal share the record for the most appearances, each having played 22 matches.

Iwobi is on the verge of claiming the record outright in just a few days, as his Afcon appearances will increase to 23 across four tournaments if he plays in Nigeria’s semifinal match against Morocco’s Atlas Lions.

Iwobi participated in seven matches each at Afcon 2019 and Afcon 2023, and four matches each at Afcon 2021 and Afcon 2025.

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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.