Eric Chelle Hails Alex Iwobi’s Football Intelligence After Masterclass vs Mozambique

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has lavished praise on Alex Iwobi, describing the Fulham midfielder as one of those rare players blessed with an exceptional understanding of the game.

While Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman have dominated headlines throughout Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 campaign—sometimes for their brilliance, sometimes for off-field talking points—Iwobi has quietly produced a series of assured and influential performances in the matches he has featured in.

Against Mozambique on Monday night, the Hale End Academy graduate was at the heart of Nigeria’s attacking rhythm, orchestrating play and providing the pre-assists for the Super Eagles’ first three goals.

Iwobi first initiated the move that led to Ademola Lookman’s opener, playing the pass that released Akor Adams before the winger finished clinically. He then delivered a perfectly weighted long ball to Lookman, whose contribution allowed Victor Osimhen to double Nigeria’s advantage. In the second half, Iwobi again picked out Lookman, whose cross enabled Osimhen to score his second goal of the night.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Chelle highlighted Iwobi’s intelligence and technical quality.

“There are some players who smell football. This guy has a big football IQ. He sees the game before other players, and technically, when he makes a movement, he is very good,” Chelle told reporters.

The Malian tactician stressed that Iwobi’s influence has been evident since the start of the tournament, while also challenging the midfielder to sustain his high standards.

“Since the tournament started, we can see he is a very good player. Actually, he is like the team, so the most important thing is to do that every day.

“Once again, we have to stay focused. Alex has to stay focused, continue to work, and try to be better than in the last game. I am very proud of him and of the team too.”

The round-of-16 victory over Mozambique marked Iwobi’s 21st career appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations, placing him just one game behind his iconic uncle, Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha, further underlining his growing legacy in Nigerian football.

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.

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