Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has named Alex Iwobi as Nigeria’s top performer at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, describing the Fulham midfielder as the tactical backbone of the team’s excellent run thus far.
While Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman have received the majority of the attention for their goals and assists, Chelle emphasised that Nigeria’s consistency and control have been powered by Iwobi’s intellect and impact in midfield.
Following Nigeria’s stunning 4-0 win over Mozambique in the round of 16, Chelle lauded Iwobi’s football IQ and ability to read the game ahead of others.
“You know, there are some players, they smell football,” Chelle said. “This guy, Iwobi, he has a big IQ for football. He sees the game before the other players and technically, he’s very good.
“Since the AFCON started, we see that this guy is a very good player. Actually, he is like the team. The most important thing now is to do that every game. I’m very proud of him and the team.”
Iwobi, who plays with Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka, has been key to Nigeria’s balance, integrating defence and attack and influencing tempo. Against Mozambique, he set up the first two goals and regularly disrupted the opposition’s defensive shape with early passes and clever positioning. His influence has been seen throughout the event.
In Nigeria’s opening 2-1 triumph over Tanzania, Iwobi assisted on the team’s first two goals, emphasising his importance as the link in Chelle’s system.
During his CAF TV analysis, former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh backed Chelle’s point of view, underlining Iwobi’s significance to Nigeria’s attacking system.
“All these started from Iwobi; this is what we call the pre-assist pass. That pass tore the defense apart,” Oliseh said. “The goal is what we talk about, but it is the pass that comes before the assist.”
Nigeria’s overwhelming victory over Mozambique clinched their place in the quarterfinals and provided their first clean sheet of the tournament.
The Super Eagles will now travel to Marrakech for their quarterfinal match against Algeria on Saturday.
Kindly Share
Related Video
