Iwobi and Nigeria set to Shine at Africa Cup of Nations

After failing to qualify for the last two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, Nigeria’s players will be chomping at the bit to make amends during this summer’s football extravaganza.

The Super Eagles have won this competition three times in their history, most recently in 2013 when the event was held in South Africa.

Despite qualifying for the two most recent World Cup Finals, Nigeria have surprisingly eliminated ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations tournaments of 2015 and 2017.

But it appears they are now ready to challenge for the title once again in a few short months, with Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi being one of the country’s best up-and-coming players. Already one of their more experienced stars, at the tender age of 22, Iwobi has collected over 25 caps for his country, having earlier in his life represented England at three age group levels.

Born in Lagos, Iwobi is currently enjoying a strong season with the Gunners and has appeared in more than 40 games for them across all competitions during 2018-19.

Source: “Alex Iwobi vs Wolves” (CC BY 2.0) by Kieran Clarke

His performances have helped Arsenal to challenge for a top-four spot in the English Premier League after missing out in 2017-18 when they finished sixth, ending-up a massive 12 points behind Liverpool in fourth.

So good has the Nigerian midfielder’s form been this season in London, he was even the subject of an April Fool’s Joke earlier this month, when a website suggested he was the target of a massive bid by La Liga giants Barcelona!

Thanks to Iwobi and his teammates, a quick check on the latest football betting shows the Gunners are now expected to finish either third or fourth in the Premier League, according to bet365.

And football fans in Nigeria are hoping he will continue the good work at this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Thumbs up for Arsenal Midfielder

Following a recent international against Egypt, one website back in his home country gave Iwobi seven out of 10 for his performance, while saving the highest praise for Paul Onuachu, a striker who plays for Danish club Midtjylland.

As for Iwobi, former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has always been impressed by his young starlet who joined the club as a 17-year-old.

Former Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has also offered high praise, saying: “He’s brave on the ball, calm and has justified all the work invested in him by the academy. He works hard, he listens. He is the perfect example of how a kid has to behave to make it to the top.”

Not surprisingly, Wenger and Henry were both a little surprised when Iwobi opted to change his allegiance from England to Nigeria a few years ago, with his new country expected to be one of the leading challengers at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Source: “Game” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Andrea Munich (Nigeria v Argentina, 2018 World Cup)

Although the squad for this year’s championship is yet to be announced, it is likely to be one of the country’s youngest ever, judging by the one chosen recently for their final qualifying match against Seychelles, followed a few days later with a friendly international at home to Egypt.

The Super Eagles won both games and, of the 23 outfield players chosen for these fixtures, only three were older than 26, with 11 being aged 22 or younger.

For the record, this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, which comprises of 24 teams, takes place in Egypt between June 21st and July 19th.