Alex Iwobi optimistic About European qualification with Fulham

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nigeria international Alex Iwobi has expressed optimism that Fulham will continue their push for a European spot at the end of the season, following their 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

The Super Eagles midfielder, alongside Calvin Bassey, is determined to help Fulham secure a place in European competition next season.

After finishing 10th and 13th in the previous two seasons, Marco Silva’s side has shown significant improvement, currently sitting in 8th place after 25 Premier League matches. They are just four points behind the UEFA Champions League spots.

In the win against third-placed Nottingham Forest, Bassey scored his first goal of the season, securing the victory for Fulham. It was also their first Premier League win at Craven Cottage in 2025.

Despite the triumph, Iwobi revealed that Bassey was disappointed with the goal Forest scored against them.

“Calvin was a bit down at the way Forest scored their goal,” Iwobi said.

“However, for him to respond and score like that, everyone got behind him, and we’re so happy for him.”

Fulham’s impressive 2-0 victory over Newcastle United earlier in the season further boosted Iwobi’s confidence, and he urged his teammates to remain focused for the remainder of the campaign.

“Beating big teams like that will definitely give us an advantage, but we always take it game by game,” said the former Arsenal midfielder in an interview with The Mirror.

“It doesn’t matter if the other team is challenging for European spots or fighting relegation—we treat every opponent with the same respect. We just have to keep pushing, and we see the quality in training every day.”

Iwobi emphasized the team’s shared ambition, saying, “We’re all very ambitious, and we take things step by step. European qualification is definitely in the back of our minds.”

Fulham’s European hopes continue as they prepare to face Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage this Saturday.

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