Excerpt: Ahead of celebrating his 100th Nigeria appearance, Alex Iwobi insists he has no regrets choosing the Super Eagles over England.
Nigeria midfielder Alex Iwobi says he has no regrets about choosing to represent the Super Eagles ahead of England as he prepares to make his 100th appearance for the national team.
The 30-year-old Fulham midfielder is expected to reach the milestone in Wednesday’s international friendly against Portugal national football team in Leiria, becoming only the fourth Nigerian player to earn 100 caps after Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama and Ahmed Musa.
Iwobi, who represented England at youth level before committing his international future to Nigeria, said he remains fully convinced he made the right choice despite never winning the Africa Cup of Nations and missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“I am proud to be where I am today; proud to wear the green-and-white,” Iwobi said in remarks shared by the Nigeria Football Federation.
“I have no regrets choosing Nigeria.
“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.”
Iwobi said his decision followed discussions with his family, including Nigerian football icon Austin Okocha, but stressed that the final choice was his alone.
“He always said go and do what’s right, go and enjoy your football. Of course he’s a Nigeria legend and the advice I got from my parents and from him was that before you take a decision on where you want to play, give Nigeria a trial and see how you feel.
“So I actually went to the under 23s and experienced it for myself and I felt a lot like I’m at home. No disrespect to England because I had a good time there but Nigeria is where my heart is. So yeah, he did influence me a bit, but at the at the end of the day, it was ultimately my decision.”
Iwobi made his senior debut for Nigeria in October 2015 in a friendly against DR Congo and has since featured at four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, winning silver in 2023 and bronze medals in 2019 and 2025. He also represented Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The midfielder would have reached the 100-cap mark against Poland on June 3 but was suspended following a red card in Nigeria’s 2-2 friendly draw against Jordan in March.
After the incident, Iwobi apologised on his podcast.
“I need to address what I did and apologize to all my Nigerian teammates, staff, and everyone who cares about Nigeria.
“My actions were not good enough, and I got sent off. I want to apologize for the mistake.”
Reflecting on his career, Iwobi described his goal against Zambia in Uyo in October 2017, which secured Nigeria’s place at the 2018 World Cup, as his most memorable moment in national colours.
“It’s not because of the stakes, although it sent us to the World Cup, but simply because my parents were in the stadium. Being able to celebrate with my mum and my dad was an amazing feeling. That’s who I do it for.
“I loved the occasion because my dad and my mum were both at the stadium and saw it all, and we celebrated together afterwards.”
Should he feature against Portugal, Iwobi will join an exclusive group of Nigerian centurions. Yobo became the first player to reach the milestone in 2014, while Enyeama later surpassed the mark with 101 caps. Musa retired in December 2025 as Nigeria’s all-time appearance holder with 111 caps.
Despite approaching a landmark achievement, Iwobi said he does not see himself as a legend.
“After 10 years and eight months, I won’t say I am a legend. I leave that to the people. I only see myself as a Super Eagles’ player.
“It’s been an honour to represent, and on a lighter note, hopefully I’ll be able to achieve a hundred more. But seriously I am just happy to make a hundred appearances for my country.
“In a nation like Nigeria, it’s a big achievement because we have so many talented players. I appreciate the players I’ve played with the coaches that have called me up, the staff. I am proud to be where I am today.”
His father, Chuka Iwobi, said the family was proud of his journey with the national team.
“We remain ever grateful to the nation for the opportunity Alex has been given. When he made his debut in 2015, little did we know that this was the beginning of an amazing and incredible journey which would lead to him achieving the milestone of a hundred caps and with the potential of many more caps to come.
“Alex loves playing for the nation and always gives his best. No one can ever question his commitment, devotion and patriotism while wearing the green-and-white.
“There have been highs and lows over the years but he has emerged stronger from the experience of playing for the country. We pray that he continues to excel and that the Super Eagles are able to repay the fans for their love and support.”
Nigeria face Portugal in Leiria on Wednesday, with Iwobi poised to become only the fourth player to reach 100 appearances for the Super Eagles.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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