Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi showcased his playmaking and passing abilities at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, influencing games decisively with several pre-assists. 

The Super Eagles secured a third-place finish in Morocco, defeating Egypt 4-2 to claim a spot on the podium. 

While the victory brought some solace, Nigeria's dream of reaching the 2026 Fifa World Cup suffered a setback following a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African playoffs in November 2025, a month before the Afcon. 

In the aftermath, the Nigeria Football Federation lodged a complaint with Fifa over the use of allegedly ineligible dual-national players, including Manchester United alums Axel Tuanzebe and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, hoping a favourable ruling could revive the team's World Cup qualification hopes.

Iwobi was a member of the Super Eagle squad at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he featured in all the matches contested by the three-time African champions.

When asked if he would have traded the Afcon bronze medal for a World Cup spot, Iwobi told SuperSport: "We are still waiting, we are hoping we can go to the World Cup but I feel it's a tough one.

"It's a tough one because winning Afcon is a great legacy, a great thing to happen in your career, and a memorable moment. 

"But at the same time, I've been to the World Cup already, a lot of the players haven't. They would like to say, ‘I want to go to the World Cup.

"I cannot be selfish and say win the Afcon and for my teammates not to go to the World Cup. It's a tough one, I don't know."

A former England youth international, Iwobi is three games away from reaching the milestone of 100 appearances for the Super Eagles.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel