Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi has downplayed talk of personal awards at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, emphasising that his main focus is helping Nigeria secure a fourth continental title.
The Super Eagles playmaker has been a key figure in midfield, controlling the tempo and linking play as Nigeria advanced into the round of 16.
Iwobi’s influence was evident in Nigeria’s opening group match against Tanzania, where he provided two crucial assists in the 2-1 victory. He set up the opener for Semi Ajayi and then assisted Ademola Lookman for the winning goal, becoming only the second Nigerian player since 2010 to record two assists in a single AFCON match.
He followed up with another composed display in the 3-2 win over Tunisia, completing 51 accurate passes from 59 attempts and contributing significantly to the build-up that led to Nigeria’s third goal.
Despite his key performances, Iwobi has yet to earn a Player of the Match award, but he insists individual recognition is not a priority.
“Man of the Match doesn’t matter,” he said. “I think Mola deserves it—two assists and one goal. It doesn’t matter who performs as long as the team performs.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s previous AFCON clash with Tunisia in 2021, when he was sent off shortly after coming on, Iwobi said there are no lingering feelings from that defeat.
“It’s special. I forgot what happened in 2022, but the main thing is that we won,” he said. “It was an amazing team performance, and credit to Tunisia—they were tough opponents.”
With 93 international caps, Iwobi is the most experienced member of the Super Eagles squad in Morocco, appearing in his third AFCON tournament. Nigeria is aiming to lift the title for the fourth time, having previously won in 1980, 1994, and 2013.
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