By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian midfielder Alex Iwobi has vowed to remain dedicated and committed after reaching a major career milestone — 300 English Premier League appearances.
The Fulham star hit the landmark on Saturday during his club’s 2–1 defeat to Newcastle United, becoming the first Nigerian player in history to achieve the feat.
The 29-year-old also joins an elite group of Africans with the most Premier League appearances, ranking fifth behind Kolo Touré (353), Mohamed Salah (309), Wilfried Zaha (309), and Jordan Ayew (305).
Speaking to Fulham’s official website, Iwobi expressed pride and gratitude for the achievement while pledging to keep pushing forward.
“It’s amazing, it’s a big achievement to lead that, with the likes of Shola Ameobi and even my uncle [Jay-Jay Okocha] that’s participated in the Premier League,” he said.
“It’s an honour, but I’m not done yet. I’m going to keep on going and hopefully keep the record going.”
Iwobi, who began his Premier League journey with Arsenal before stints at Everton and Fulham, has been a consistent presence in England’s top flight for nearly a decade, cementing his status as one of Nigeria’s most enduring football exports.
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.
