The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has described Alex Iwobi as iconic after the Fulham midfielder became only the fourth player to reach 100 appearances for the Super Eagles during Nigeria’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Portugal on Wednesday.
Iwobi brought up the milestone at the Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria, where Nigeria faced Portugal in their final warm-up match before the FIFA World Cup.
CAF, reacting to the Super Eagles’ social media post celebrating the achievement, responded simply, ‘Iwobi? Iconic’.
The 30-year-old joins an exclusive group of Nigerians to have reached the landmark, drawing level with former captain Joseph Yobo in third place on the all-time appearance list.
Only goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and current skipper Ahmed Musa have earned more caps for the men’s national team.
On the pitch, it was a difficult evening for Eric Chelle’s side.
Pedro Neto gave Portugal the lead in the 23rd minute before Akor Adams restored parity for the Eagles. Francisco Conceicao then netted the winner to hand Roberto Martinez’s team a narrow victory. The result was also Chelle’s first defeat in regulation time since taking charge, ending a remarkable 25-match unbeaten run that had yielded 16 wins and nine draws.
Despite the defeat, Iwobi produced a composed performance in midfield, and his milestone brought considerable personal and national recognition.
Speaking through the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Iwobi expressed pride at reaching the landmark, even if major honours have eluded him.
‘I am proud to be where I am today; proud to wear the green-and-white. I have no regrets choosing Nigeria’, he said.
The midfielder, who represented England at youth level before committing to Nigeria, acknowledged the trophies that got away.
‘Yes, I would have loved to win the AFCON and perhaps be with the Eagles at the FIFA World Cup that is about to kick off in a few days’ time, but no regrets’, he added.
Iwobi revealed that family members, including his uncle and Nigerian legend Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, were consulted before he made his final decision, though he stressed that the choice ultimately rested with him.
Since his senior debut in 2015, Iwobi has been one of the most consistent figures in the Super Eagles setup, featuring at multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and playing a key role in Nigeria’s run to the 2023 AFCON final in Ivory Coast. With Ahmed Musa and Vincent Enyeama the only players ahead of him on the all-time list, he could climb even further in the years to come.
