Alex Iwobi has explained why he struggle to score lots of goals or provide assists when playing for the Super Eagles.
Iwobi made his Super Eagles debut in 2015 and has scored 10 goals in 81 appearances.
The last time Iwobi scored for the Eagles was in 2022 when he netted the equaliser in a 2-1 comeback win against Sierra Leone during qualifiers for the 2023 AFCON.
Despite not scoring much, he has scored some memorable goals, like netting the crucial goal that earned the Super Eagles a 1-0 win against Zambia and qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
He also scored the opening goal in the Super Eagles’ 2-1 win away to the Chipolopolo on matchday 1 of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Also, he bagged a brace as the Eagles came from 2-0 down to beat Argentina 4-2 in a friendly game in Russia.
This season at Fulham, Iwobi has scored one goal and provided one assist in seven league games.
In a chat with Official54fx, Iwobi said he has different roles for club and country.
“My role for my club side and national team are two different roles,” he said. “When I’m here (Super Eagles) I’m told to keep the ball and not really go forward as much until recently with this new manager (Eguavoen), he wants me to try and get forward as much as I can.
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“Before I was told to seat back and let the attackers do their attacking and I try to control the midfield whereas for my club side I have the license to go and express myself a bit more, get into goal scoring opportunities, so that’s the big difference.”
Iwobi would be hoping to help the Eagles overcome Libya on matchday 3 of the AFCON qualifier inside the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo on Friday.
After Friday’s tie, the Eagles will travel to Benghazi for the second leg billed for Tuesday, October 15.
The former Arsenal and Everton star would be hoping to appear in his fourth AFCON after featuring at the 2019, 2021 and 2023 editions.
He played a key role as the Eagles reached the AFCON 2023 final where they, unfortunately, lost 2-1 to hosts Côte d’Ivoire.
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COMMENTS
True, Paseiro tried to turn everyone into defenders, and you received a lot of criticism for it, even though you’re an AM and not a DM like Ndidi.
CSN should also add the winning goal he scored against Cameroun in the 2019 Afcon to the list. Iwobi has truly scored some of the most memorable goals for Nigeria.
mumu lmaoo
So na memorable goals we go chop now. Was he not let lose after paseiro and what happened.
Who provided the assist for Lookman vs Ghana in the March Friendlies.? Who also provided the assist for Dele-Bashiru vs South Africa in the WCQ…..or where these matches not after Peserio…..??
In 4 games after Peserio he provided 2 assists. What that should tell any reasonable person is that that 343 formation is what is limiting Iwobi.
I dont understand how some of you want him to score goals and provide assists while playing in DM even when it is glaring to even the blind that defending is not his strenght.
Play him behind the strikers and he will perform. Simple and short.
The dude is a winger. He can also play in the hole just behind the main striker.
Play him on the right, Lookman on the left, and Boni in the center, and we will rain goals down on Libya.
Play him in his best position!
It has always baffled me why anyone would play Iwobi as a CMF OR DMF. He simply doesn’t have the qualities to play those roles.
Play him where he thrives. As an attacking midfielder, left or right winger or as a supporting striker, just behind the top 9.
COMMON SENSE.
You are on point bro…I even prefer Onyeka, Bashiru and Onyedika 3 midfield combo…I believe goals will rain…
Iwobi flourished during Rohr’s era as super eagles coach owing to the fact that the erstwhile super eagles gaffer prefer’s two central midfielder’s and one attacking midfielder(Iwobi)in a 3-5-2 formation.
All that changed with Peseiro who likes to play with 2 men as central midfelders in either a 4-2-4 or 3-4-3 formations.
Iwobi struggled for adaptation under Peseiro.
Eguavoen choosing to go the way of his predecesors didn’t make it easier for the fulham winger.
Iwobi is the Michelle Alozie of the Super Eagles: a player expected to thrive in the national team where they rarely play, let alone excel, in club football.
Well, I think Iwobi’s performances as a midfielder in the Super Eagles has been acceptable for the most part. He brings a good work rate and doles out decent passes from measured movements.
Me-thinks though that the Super Eagles’ identity seems designed (for the most part) to accommodate speedsters able to belt along at breakneck speed, dribblers and players able to cavort gracefully like a buttered mono-rail.
I personally believe Aribo and Iwobi can produce nigh-on acceptable performances on the flanks for Nigeria here and there; they have decent passing range and can move briskly with the ball albeit over a shorter distance than say Simon, Chukwueze or Lookman. But I am restricted, constrained and shackled by the perception of the national team coaches and their decisions on player arrangements.
So, from that standpoint, it’s better to donate my time to the Federal Bureau of Time Wastage in Wuse, Abuja than clamour for Iwobi on the flanks for Nigeria.
Rather, I think he should continually seek ways to reinvent, re-imagine, and reconstruct himself as a centre midfielder for Nigeria in manner that allows him to age gracefully in that role and to evolve into a more measured,considered and composed midfielder befitting of his age and years of experience – after all he has played that role for many years in many competitions for Nigeria.
He is not getting younger and I doubt he will have the engine and lungs to lift the flight of responsibilities required of a modern day Super Eagles winger in a compelling, engaging and enthralling manner. Yeah, maybe in the odd game here and there, but as a longer term solution, nada! I think the that role needs someone of the speed of Tijani Babangida with the deliveries of Finidi George.
Again, from the position of personal opinion, I don’t think Iwobi has been awful for Nigeria in centre midfield. Yes, those his cute passes and sweet movements no longer get my blood pumping nor do they get my pulse racing! But they are par-for-the-course and do created decent openings in opposition areas.
Hence why I think dusting off his midfield approach and applying fresh polish of age-reversal variety to it is the best way to go as the conveyor belt of the Super Eagles churn out younger, more vibrant (indigenous and foreign born) wingers in seasons to come.
you could play a trio of Ndidi, Fisayo and Iwobi in the midfield. Ndidi as the DMF, Fisayo as CMF and Iwobi as the AMF.
MORE LİKE; Nwabali
Aina Ekong Ajayi(Bassey) Bruno
Fisayo(Onyedika/Onyeka) Ndidi
Iwobi
Chukwueze(Simon) Boniface Lookman
OR
Nwabali
Ekong Ajayi Bassey
Aina Onyeka (Fisayo/Onyedika) Ndidi Bruno
Iwobi Lookman
Boniface
OR
Nwabali
Aina Ekong Bassey (Ajayi) Bruno
Fisayo(Onyedika/Onyeka) Ndidi
Chukwueze Lookman
Iwobi
Boniface
I am no coach but as a longtime football fan, I think one of these three formations would function perfectly with Iwobi being integral part of it. I sincerely believe with Iwobi playing much more forward with Boniface, we will see the best of the striker from Leverkusen. Boniface really needs someone like Iwobi playing beside
/Alongside him to make him function properly in the Eagles.
But let’s see how it goes.
I wish them well today
Nice lineup.I will favour Ndidi Onyeka central midfield,Iwobi playing just ahead.
Like you rightly mentioned,Iwobi playing in a more advanced role will open up goal scoring opportunities for Boniface who seem to be starved of services in our previous games.
However,all that could change with a classy and intelligent player like Iwobi operating closer to offer him the services he so much yearning for
LMAOO, what a clown smh – go back and start again, maybe there is still hope for you kwasia!
Okay, the coach should start you ahead of Fisayo whose introduction in the midfield has brought robustness and dynamism to the team.
Fisayo is great at ball recovery and hardly loses the ball, tackles well and runs without the ball, hardly plays lazy side ways passing, attacks with the ball and has got great shooting skills.
This is the reason why competition should be allowed by giving opportunities to other suitable player.
Ndidi-Onyedika-Fisayo is the best midfield combination for the team.
Fisayo is a very good player,i’m sure it was a very difficult decision for the coach to make,choosing who to start between Iwobi and F-Dele-Bashiru.At some point FDB will come in to help the team.
In the meanwhile,Eguavoen could start him in the away game just like he did in the last windows.
However,Iwobi playing in his favourite position will be too good for anyone to think of taking his place,he’s a monster when he plays where he’s comfortable,FDB may have to wait longer.
Okay, the coach should start you ahead of Fisayo whose introduction in the midfield has brought robustness and dynamism to the team.
Fisayo is great at ball recovery and hardly loses the ball, tackles well and runs without the ball, hardly plays lazy side ways passing, attacks with the ball and has got great shooting skills.
This is the reason why competition should be allowed by giving opportunities to other suitable player.
Ndidi-Onyedika-Fisayo is the best midfield combination for the team.