Fulham star Alex Iwobi says the Super Eagles have taken positives from their pre-tournament friendly defeat to Egypt as Nigeria intensify preparations for their AFCON 2025 opener against Tanzania, Soccernet.ng reports.
Too many expectations from a wide section of the Nigerian football community. Meanwhile, a loss to Egypt has put more fears than confidence in the minds of many football fans.
Nigeria suffered a setback in their final warm-up game, but the former Everton midfielder insists the result has not disrupted the team’s focus.
What has Alex Iwobi said?
“Of course we lost the preparation game, but we took the positives,” Iwobi told Soccernet.ng. “There are a lot of new faces, a lot of people adapting to the system and adapting to the way the manager wants us to play.”
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Iwobi revealed that Nigeria’s preparation has gathered momentum with the full squad now together, which has allowed the coaching staff to fine-tune tactical plans ahead of the Group C opener.
“But yeah, we’re still preparing, we’re working hard,” he added. “We have the full team now together, so hopefully the preparation will go well and we’ll get the result we want against Tanzania.”
The Super Eagles will face Tanzania in Fès, knowing that a positive result in their opening game could shape their AFCON campaign.
Iwobi on playing for the Super Eagles of Nigeria
Beyond the immediate task, Iwobi also reflected on what representing Nigeria continues to mean to him:
“It’s difficult to narrow it down because there’s a lot of things I’ve learned over the years playing for Nigeria,” he said. “It’s just an honour, and every time I’m called up I’m proud to represent.”
“I feel like the togetherness of the Nigerian culture is what I’ve learned just being a part of the team,” Iwobi added.
Nigeria kick off their AFCON 2025 campaign against Tanzania tomorrow at 18:30 local time, with Iwobi and his teammates looking to turn their preparation work into a winning start.