Alex Iwobi has enthused that the Super Eagles will bring out their best against the Black Stars of Ghana in tomorrow’s international friendly match to in Marrakesh , Morocco, adding they are at the ready to produce the same form that nearly saw them being crowned African champions at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire last month.
He said the game against Ghana should be exciting based on the long rivalry between the two West African sides.
“We didn’t have enough time to reflect after the AFCON but as it’s is, we want to continue with the form from the AFCON and hopefully push harder (against Ghana), “ the Fulham forward told NFF Tv. “Of course, it’s another rivalry against (Ghana) one of the nations that is close to us ; so we would give our full one hundred percent and try and get the result that we want.”
Speaking in the same vein, Ademola Lookman, the Atalanta striker who was one of the Super Eagles’ standout performers at the 2023 AFCON, said the game would be another opportunity for the Super Eagles to show what they are capable of doing.
“It is a nice session for us to prepare for the game on Friday and we are looking forward to it.” He said.
“Obviously things happened at the AFCON but it’s still the same group.
“It’s also good to see some new faces as well . We are really happy to be back with the team but it’s an opportunity to show the level we are , the level that we have shown and the level expected of us. . “We are definitely looking forward to (the game against Ghana ). “
Defender Chigozie Awaziem who did not get any playing time at the AFCON 2023 under Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, said the Super Eagles was still a work in progress even under newly installed interim coach Finidi George.
“ Honestly, we are planning to have a good game against Ghana,” the 27-year-old Boavista defender said. “ We know the rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana ; and we are going to be focussed on the game .
“ Football is not a game of fighting ; it’s sport and we are just going to play football and we all want to fight for our country.
“ But it will be a wonderful game between Nigeria and Ghana,” he added.
Iwobi made this revelation in the most interesting way after returning to the social media. He dropped the message via his own musical rap telling the story of his AFCON setback and how he has arisen from it a better player and man.
He wrote: “Never thought I’d make it, now when I step them be recognising the faces. Invitations I’ll be going out to different places….Setbacks in the past but there’s so much I could show you. Everything was worth it, now look at me I’m global. They said I wasn’t good enough, d**n Brady saying to my parents that I’m not so tough,”
Iwobi returned to the social media some days ago after he was cyber bullied by aggressive Nigerians after the Nations Cup final showdown between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.
It would be recalled that Nigeria lost the final match to the host country 2-1, the creative midfielder got the biggest of the back-clash, via the social media.
BACK WITH A RAP
Meanwhile, the former Everton star has since made a comeback to social media, offering fans a peek into his recent endeavours, including a preview of a rap song.
Iwobi shared a snippet of an unreleased rap song, answering his critics
His comeback with a rap followed close to a month’s hiatus when a made a clean break from the social media.
The Super Eagles star had deleted all his Instagram posts due to harsh comments from Nigerian football fans after the team’s loss to Ivory Coast in the final.
Many fans took to the former Arsenal midfielder’s social media to express their disappointment with what they perceived as a subpar performance.
The ex-Everton man has now returned to social media by sharing a video on Instagram.
In the song, he addresses his critics, expressing his journey from doubt to recognition. He talks about facing setbacks but ultimately proving his worth on a global stage.
“Never thought I’d make it, now when I step them be recognising the faces. Invitations I’ll be going out to different places….Setbacks in the past but there’s so much I could show you. Everything was worth it, now look at me I’m global. They said I wasn’t good enough, d**n Brady saying to my parents that I’m not so tough,” said Iwobi in the song, as quoted on Afrik Foot.
Iwobi has always liked music, which he called his second love after football.
“I love music with a passion. It’s my second love after football and I have a few clips I will be dropping soon,” he said in another interview.
He also expressed his preference for Nigerian music, especially Nigerian renowned musicians Wizkid and Burna Boy.
According to him, he has always admired the talent of Wizkid.
In the most recent “Would You Rather…” episode, Iwobi declared that he has always been a huge fan of Wizkid.
He also showed pride and love for Nigerian music, confessing his preference for Nigerian music over foreign tunes.
He said: “I prefer Nigerian music to English. Wizkid is my favourite Nigerian artists. I feel him more than Burna [Boy]. “I have always been a big fan of Wizkid.”
It is also not his first time in the studio. Few months ago, Iwobi hits the studio with British Rapper Big Shaq, shows off rap skills in viral video.
The duo had a brief question and answer session and the Everton midfielder revealed that he’s been rapping for six years.
In the video making rounds the Internet, Iwobi hopped on the microphone and dropped some rap bars that impressed Shaq and the in-house producer.
The clip sparked reactions from fans who were stunned to find out that the footballer could rap.
HONOURS AGAIN
Returning to his club, the cousin to Nigeria’s great, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has played a pivotal role in his team’s matches in the English Premiership.
Netting the winner in the 2-1 victory over Manchester United and followed by another scintillating performance against wolves, Iwobi has gain more honors and awards. More importantly, he said he has put the AFCON episode behind him.
Despite the setbacks at the AFCON, the 27-year-old has been crucial in helping Marco Silva’s side climb further away from the relegation zone.
Since returning to club action, Iwobi has played an integral role in ensuring victory for Fulham in two of their last three games, including a significant win against Manchester United, where he scored a late winner in the 97th minute.
The Nigerian’s strike on the night has also earned him the prestigious Goal of the Month award for his club.
According to the club’s official website, Iwobi emerged victorious over competition from his Nigerian teammate, Calvin Bassey, as well as Rodrigo Muniz, Callum Osmand, Lemar Gordon, and Georgia Heasman to claim the accolade.
His goal received 57.2% of the fan vote, eclipsing Muniz’s lob at Burnley, which secured second place with only 13% of the votes.
Iwobi had been nominated for Fulham’s Goal of the Month awards in September, November, and December, but he had not won any of those fan votes.
Since joining the Cottagers on deadline day, the former Arsenal midfielder has contributed to five goals in 22 games across all competitions, according to data from Fotmob.
Despite the criticism, Iwobi had a strong AFCON campaign with Nigeria, playing a crucial role in getting the team to the final.
He scored in the Cottager’s remarkable victory against Manchester United in the English Premier League on Saturday, February 24. He also contributed to the team’s 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at Craven Cottage on Saturday, March 2.
Iwobi has been involved in five goals and one assist in all competitions for Fulham this season.
Fulham coach Marco Silva had been the first to support him after the AFCON criticism insisting that Alex is a good player.
Silva’s firm backing was proved right as he gave him a starting shirt almost immediately after the AFCON and Iwobi paid him well by scoring the winner against Man United.
His country mate Calvin Bassey scored the opener for Silva’s team, but they needed a late winner after allowing the hosts to equalize. And this was provided by Iwobi who calmly slotted in inside the box.
Wolves gave their hopes of playing European football next season a boost as they beat Fulham to move up to eighth in the Premier League.
Rayan Ait-Nouri opened the scoring early in the second half, converting from Toti Gomes’ pull back after Fulham failed to deal adequately with a free-kick from deep.
There was more than a hint of good fortune about the second as Nelson Semedo’s shot took a big deflection off Tom Cairney to leave Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno helpless.
Alex Iwobi pulled one back deep into stoppage time with a clever improvised finish but there was barely time for the game to restart as Wolves held on.
Defender Calvin Bassey and striker Alex Iwobi has been nominated for their English Premier League (EPL) side, Fulham’s Goal Of The Month (GOTM) award for the month of February.
The Super Eagles duo, fresh from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) where they helped Nigeria to a second place finish behind Cote d’Ivoire, were in devastating form at the weekend when they struck in Fulham’s dazzling 2-1 win away at Manchester United.
Bassey netted the first goal of the pulsating encounter in the 65th minute when he smashed the ball home from 10-yards after United failed to clear a corner to give the visitors the lead.
Incidentally, that goal against Manchester United was the 24-year-old defender’s first goal for the Cottagers and just a third goal of his entire career.
Iwobi was also among the goals for Fulham as he grabbed a late 97th winner to ensure victory for the London-based side.
Both players had revelled in the joy of scoring at the weekend with Bassey quoted as saying that ‘ Fulham ‘wanted it more’ than Manchester United.
“I don’t think you can just come here and overrun them — you can see the quality of the players they have”, Bassey said after Saturday’s surprise win. “They have got top players and a top manager and players that can have an effect off the bench. But we were just at it more and I felt we wanted it more today. That showed in the way we played.”
Quipped 27-year-old Iwobi: “I’m over the moon to come back into the team and get a win at Old Trafford, there’s no better feeling.”
Indeed, Bassey and Iwobi would undoubtedly be over the moon as Fulham yesterday listed the duo on their website as nominees along with several others for the month of February Goal Of The Month award.
Manchester United were given a harsh reality check at Old Trafford as Alex Iwobi’s injury-time effort gave Fulham only their second Old Trafford victory since 1963.
Four days after new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of United attempting to knock Manchester City and Liverpool off their perch at the top of the English game, they suffered a major blow to their hopes of Champions League qualification.
Without injured striker Rasmus Hojlund, the hosts were ineffective in attack until the final minute of normal time, when Harry Maguire seemed to have rescued a point for the hosts.
But Iwobi had the final say deep into nine minutes of stoppage time, restoring an advantage initially given to them by Nigeria defender Calvin Bassey, who lashed home the loose ball after his header from a Fulham corner had been blocked by team-mate Timothy Castagne.
I thought it was only in politics that some Nigerians manifest lack of sportsmanship, but the aftermath of the just concluded African Cup of Nations showed that many Nigerians, most especially the youths, are yet to cultivate the habit of displaying great sportsmanship in defeat.
For Alex Iwobi to choose Nigeria over England is, to me, a sign of dedication to one’s country of birth. And to willingly represent Nigeria in the African tournament when many other African abroad-based footballers looked for ways to boycott the tournament is a matchless patriotism that can hardly be found in many African footballers.
Iwobi had an opportunity to represent either England or Nigeria, his country of birth, in major tournaments, but decided to join the Super Eagles after playing in underage level (under 16, 17 and 18) for England.
Iwobi joined Super Eagles at age 19, and has so far appeared in about 76 major tournaments for Nigeria. Throughout his outings for Nigerian football team, he performed excellently and distinctively. I remember during the World Cup qualifiers against Zambia, it was Iwobi who gave the Super Eagles the lone goal in the 74th minutes of the match that helped Nigeria to have a slot in the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia.
After the sacrifices Iwobi made for Nigeria, isn’t it strange that some group of young Nigerians many of whom are yet to find something good to do for their country, went on to bully Iwobi, who had rendered unequal services for his fatherland and handed out his talent to promote the image of Nigeria all over the world?
In the recently concluded AFCON tournament, Iwobi was assigned a new role, the assignment any footballer could, at initial stage, find difficult to adapt to. Yet, he played this role in the preliminary stages of the tournament and gave the Super Eagles the opportunity to qualify to play in the knockout stages, from where they sailed through to final.
So the question is, what was Iwobi’s fault? Was Iwobi not the same player whose role helped to earn Super Eagles a slot in the final of AFCON 2023?
Coming out to ridicule Iwobi after the Super Eagles was defeated by the Elephant of Ivory Coast is not only disheartening but also capable of discouraging other Nigerians who have the minds to serve the country diligently in future. Iwobi has had countless moments of brilliance in the Super Eagles before 2023 AFCON. I don’t think he deserves to be the victim of cyberbullying.
Nigerian star Alex Iwobi is in good mental condition after being heavily criticized following the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
This is according to Fulham FC manager Marco Silva with Iwobi having been one of the Super Eagles’ key players as they reached the final where they lost 2-1 to hosts, Ivory Coast last weekend.
Iwobi suffered a lot of online abuse from Super Eagles fans who were angry at the result, and the 27-year-old reacted by deleting all his Instagram posts.
“Mentally, he’s very good. Alex is a happy boy when he’s on the pitch doing what he loves, he’s always doing it with a smile on his face. I know the part,” Silva said on All Nigeria Soccer.
“I don’t know everything that people said about it. I don’t see reasons because if you lose a game you lose a game together, if you win a game you win together of course. They did brilliantly until the final.
“They lost the final and the people reacted they think that is the best. In my opinion, it was completely unfair because of the way they criticized him on social media. It’s more strange when there is no reason to do it,” he continued.
Former Super Eagles midfielder Sani Kaita has admonished Alex Iwobi to overlook the folly of persons bullying him over his performance at the AFCON Final match against Cote d’Ivoire even as he enjoined the Fulham FC forward never to give up on representing the national team.
Iwobi was a subject of intense criticism on the social media soon after Sunday’s Final match against AFCON 2023 hosts ,Cote d’Ivoire as the Super Eagles fell 2-1 to the Elephants .
But Kaita who was vilified over an unfortunate red card incident in a match against Greece at the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010, said Iwobi should never be ashamed of his performances for the Super Eagles at Cote d’Ivoire 2023, adding the former Everton star should quickly but behind his cyber-bulling and focus on his career for both club and country.
“What has Iwobi done wrong at the Cote d’Ivoire AFCON tournament that some Nigerians are trying to bullying him?” Kaita, the Super Eagles’ midfield Trojan in his heyday, told NationSports. “Shame on the people that are bullying him because he worked extremely hard for the team during the tournament.”
Speaking further, Kaita said discerning Nigerian football followers appreciated the efforts of Iwobi and his Super Eagles’ teammates despite failing at the final hurdle against the Elephants.
“He (Iwobi) need to keep his head high up and ignore any criticism,” Kaita, the former Monaco star, further said.”The shouldn’t allow some people’s personal hatred get to him.
“We appreciated the efforts he put in and he deserve respect as every member of the team,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation has condemned in its entirety the cyber-attacks on Super Eagles’ midfielder Alex Iwobi, saying the virulent attacks on the player are uncalled-for given his commitment and dedication to duty for homeland over the years.
“Alex Iwobi does not deserve these attacks. He has a record of utmost dedication to duty and a remarkable attitude of giving his all on international duty. We cannot suddenly forget the great moments he has made on duty for Nigeria, like scoring that goal against Zambia in Uyo that qualified Nigeria to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia,” NFF Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire appealed yesterday. “We are talking about someone who is actually the seventh most-capped Nigerian footballer in history. With 76 caps, Alex Iwobi has nothing to prove to anyone about his patriotic fervour and dedication to duty for Nigeria. Please let us show him love and not hatred.”
Iwobi is behind only Ahmed Musa, Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo, John Mikel Obi, Nwankwo Kanu and Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal (of blessed memory) in the record of most caps for Nigeria, and has travelled to different countries and continents to defend the green-white-green for about eight years now.
He has featured for Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup finals in Russia in 2018 and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 (Egypt), 2021 (Cameroon) and Cote d’Ivoire (2023).
The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan Enoh , has strongly condemned the cyber bullying of Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi at the end of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
The minister in a message signed by his media assistant, Diana-Mary Nsan, described such acts as uncalled for and assured the player of the support of Nigerians.
Enoh who accompanied the Silver winning Super Eagles team back to Abuja from Abidjan in the early hours of Tuesday, met privately with Iwobi to encourage and pep him up.
“I am aware of what is happening on social media and as a ministry this isn’t the first time we are going to make a statement against bullying, not just you but our sportsmen and women in general who are exposed to bullying due to the outcome of competitions.
“We are concerned about how our sportsmen and women are treated.
“You did your best for your country and I am proud of you. The leadership and the rest of the country is proud of you. Those who are not are in the far minority and do not speak for the rest of our country, so just be strong.
“You are part of a team that brought home a silver medal which the country last won at AFCON 2000, which is 23 years ago. You put in your best, thank you very much,” the minister said.
Iwobi in his brief response said he had gone off social media after the AFCON final and was focused on trudging on.
“For me, I have taken myself out of social media after yesterday’s game,” Iwobi said.
He said he had deleted all pictures on his Instagram page and locked the comment section of the post, following trolling after the AFCON finals.
Sometime in 1999, Students’ Union Government (SUG) executives of the University of Uyo, led by Comrade N. Udom visited the office of the then Dean of Student Affairs, Prof D. Wilson. I was the Secretary-General of the SUG at the time. Our only reason for the visit was to ‘compel’, the Dean to help rein in some students who had made it their pastime to boo and jeer at us at every turn.
We had gone with the confidence that our demand would be complied with as such behaviour which we considered atrocious were beyond the borderlines of good behaviour expected of students of the institution especially when our only offence, in our own estimation, was emerging against the interests of some self-appointed student-kingmakers. We impressed it upon the Dean that if no action was taken to curb the situation, it could degenerate into an avoidable crisis as our supporters were agitating to square up with the booing party.
But we always reassured them that the authorities would be formally notified of the situation with appropriate actions expected to be taken by them to curb the menace.
But to our shock, Prof Wilson told us in as simple terms as possible that the students were within their right to cheer, boo or jeer at us as long as there was no element of threat to life or physical attack on our persons.
He explained that the moment we volunteered to serve them as leaders, we opened ourselves up to such scenarios, and that we should take them in our strides just as we take the cheers from our supporters since they were all part and parcel of the baggage of public office. We left disappointed but better orientated to handle such scenarios without allowing them affect our commitment to serve all students of the institution irrespective of the political divide they belong to including their actions or inactions towards us.
I have given this story just to highlight the fact that those who represent or serve the people in one capacity or the other must be ready for the days of boos, jeers and cheers. They are all part of the baggage of being in the limelight in any endeavour.
So, when one of Nigeria’s finest and most loyal footballers, Alex Iwobi, reacted angrily to Nigerians bullying him on the social media for what they considered his below par performance especially in the final match between Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire at the just concluded African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, by deleting the national team pictures on his social media pages, it is a sign that he is merely human after all despite the adroit skills within his kitty and the global popularity he commands.
However, such popularity comes with a huge responsibility part of which is to allow situations simmer down before reacting. With that, a more rational decision can be taken at every point in time.
Granit Xhaka formerly of Arsenal now knows better after he reacted angrily at his own fans who booed him off as he was being substituted for Bukayo Saka in an English Premiership League match against Crystal Palace in 2019. Just like Iwobi, Arsenal fans had adjudged Xhaka to have been playing below par long before that match and as he walked off the pitch to be replaced by Saka, Arsenal fans descended on him with boos. Things got so bad that Xhaka reacted there and then by dishing out expletives to the fans in return, swearing and gesturing aggressively at them and ripping the Arsenal jersey off himself.
That was unacceptable but it was long coming. Xhaka had suffered threats and abuse to himself and his family before that day. In a statement he released few days after the incident, a penitent Xhaka said “repeated abusive comments at matches and in social media over the last weeks and months have hurt me badly.
“People have said things like, ‘we will break your legs’, ‘kill your wife’ and ‘wish that your daughter gets cancer’.
It went too far and led to an unprecedented meltdown for an otherwise blistering career for Xhaka at Arsenal. Such an action was even termed unforgivable by some analysts. To many, Arsenal’s door would be perpetually closed on Xhaka. Even Xhaka himself had concluded so.
Then came Mikel Arteta. He was hired as Arsenal manager around that time. He convinced Xhaka to stay on and win back the fans with improved displays. Xhaka did despite doubts about himself and his relationship with the fans. In fact, he had said the decision to continue at Arsenal despite the imbroglio was the first he would be taking without first consulting with his family. He worked hard and warmed himself back into the hearts of the Arsenal faithful with exceptional displays and statistics, ending his career on a high, and eventually leaving loved and celebrated by the same fans, four good years after that ugly incident.
Another player that suffered even worse abuse is Nigerian-born England international Bukayo Saka. After missing the penalty kick that should have kept England in the final match of Euro 2020 against Italy, the young Saka who carried the burden of the entire nation on his tiny and fragile shoulders as a teenager then as the taker of the last and decisive penalty kick for England was mauled to no end on social media by his own country’s fans with a majority of the unconscionable abuses being racist in nature.
But Saka didn’t allow that ugly episode break him. He suffered, yet, he offered to continue to play for England without any fuss. Today, he is already a cult hero in the England national team despite his young age.
Like a former Arsenal striker, Charlie Nicholas once said concerning the Xhaka episode, as sad as it is, they are part of the burden that comes with being in the limelight: “They’ve hammered people like (Dennis) Bergkamp , and many greater players…in the past, and that is part and parcel ultimately of being a footballer at the top level.”
But then again, we are all human and no one deserves the kind of bullying Iwobi suffered in the hands of some Nigerians after the final match against Cote D ‘Ivoire. These lads are making enormous sacrifices to represent our dear nation at the highest footballing level. They deserve encouragement and not abuses, commendation and not condemnation. While one agrees that losing that match was painful, we should also know that there can only be one winner in such a tournament. It is Cote D ‘Ivoire’s turn today, tomorrow it could be Nigeria’s turn. And no single player should be held responsible for the loss and we must not forget so much in a hurry how these boys have put smiles on our faces and given us the bragging rights over other African nations except the champions despite our crushing socioeconomic challenges back home.
They really did well!
As for Alex Iwobi, he has the future ahead of himself. He can choose to use this opportunity to bounce back stronger and better or whither away into national obscurity and oblivion. He will do well to choose the former and hear Nigerians sing his name to high heavens again.
Just like Xhaka and Saka did, he can rise from this ash of disappointment to the height of national stardom again. He can win back his friends, the fans, who frustratingly turned their back on him when he needed them the most. Just like Xhaka and Saka both of whom Iwobi know very well, he can regain his heroic status and become the toast of the same fans once again.
Nobody wins by giving up. Iwobi should not give up on Nigeria! He can reign again!
•Ndukwe sent this piece from Abuja via Stjudendukwe@gmail.com
