International Football
THROUGH ALEX IWOBI, NIGERIA BACK AT EVERTON, 70 YEARS LATER
It was on the training ground of Everton FC that Nigeria’s national team first trained on a foreign soil in 1949.
Sports
Village Square recalls that it was also on the same ground that the team took
what is easily the first official group photograph on August 31, 1949.
Seventy years on, another Nigerian national team player, Alex Iwobi goes to Everton ground as the sixth Nigerian for Everton, which beat the deadline to make him the seventh signing of a productive summer transfer window on Thursday.
Before
Iwobi, there had been Daniel Amokachi at Everton. He was part of the FA Cup
winning side in 1995.
He played six times for the club and scored two goals in seasons 1994-95. There was also Victor Anichebe who played 10 matches for Everton in the seasons 2008 to 2011.
Yakubu Ayegbeni also featured for Everton from 2008 to 2010 and played 24 matches and scored seven goals. Henry Onyekuru also made a cameo appearance for Everton this year.
But the Nigerian with most matches for Everton is Joseph Yobo who had 55 matches for Everton from 2008 to 2011.
The latest Nigerian in Everton is Iwobi. Born in Lagos, Alex Iwobi moved to England at the age of four and spent his formative years in the east London borough of Newham, home to Premier League regulars West Ham United.
However, it was cross-city Arsenal who spotted the youngster’s early footballing promise and, in 2004, signed him up as an eight-year-old to their Hale End academy.
Cultivating a reputation as an
offensive-minded player who could make things happen but also work hard for his
team, Iwobi progressed through the Arsenal ranks to earn his first-team debut
in an October 2015 League Cup last-16 match against Sheffield Wednesday at the
age of 19.
The nephew of Jay-Jay Okocha, the early suggestions were that the young Iwobi
had dutifully studied his idolised uncle, his game – like Okocha’s – being
based on flair, skill and an abundance of natural ability.
Iwobi made his Premier League debut as a late substitute against Swansea City
four days later and would go on to amass another four appearances off the bench
before netting on his first top-flight start in March the following year – a
2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.
His eye-catching performance on Merseyside that afternoon proved the catalyst
to him starting all but one of Arsenal’s remaining eight league fixtures –
adding another goal, against Watford, and two assists – as the Gunners
overhauled north London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur to claim second place in
the Premier League behind shock 5000-1 winners Leicester City.
Having won the Victory Shield with England in 2011 and represented the Three
Lions at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 levels, Iwobi’s form saw him handed
his first competitive senior appearance for Nigeria at the end of the 2015/16
campaign, the forward’s switch of allegiance to the Super Eagles already having
been signified by his involvement in a friendly against DR Congo the previous
October.
Like on his first Premier League start for Arsenal, he
marked the occasion with a goal as Nigeria defeated Zambia 2-1 in a 2018 World
Cup qualifier. He was named in Nigeria’s provisional 35-man squad for the
Olympic Games that summer but did not feature in the final 18-man party.
Iwobi quickly shelved that disappointment and was picked for Arsenal’s opening
game of the 2016/17 season against Liverpool, providing an assist for Theo
Walcott in an eventual 4-3 defeat for the Londoners.
Despite sustaining a thigh injury that kept him out of the Gunners’ following
two league fixtures, he was quickly reinstated by boss Arsene Wenger and went
on to make 27 starts in a campaign that yielded 39 run-outs in all
competitions, four goals, eight assists and an FA Cup winners’ medal. After
featuring in early round wins over Preston North End, Southampton and Sutton
United, Iwobi was selected in Arsenal’s squad for their 2-1 Wembley victory
over Chelsea in the final.
A notable breakthrough campaign also included another international goal
against Zambia in October, on this occasion Iwobi’s cool, sweeping finish
proving enough to inflict a 1-0 defeat on Nigeria’s opponents but, more
importantly, seal the country’s place at the following summer’s World Cup
finals in Russia.
Iwobi and Arsenal were back at Wembley to face Chelsea in the Community Shield
ahead of the 2017/18 campaign and this time there was a starting role for the
youngster as the Gunners overcame their capital city rivals on penalties
following a 1-1 draw.
That triggered another profitable season in 2017/18, Iwobi adding a further 39
appearances, three goals and seven assists as Wenger’s 22nd and final campaign
at the Arsenal helm ended in a sixth-placed Premier League finish and League
Cup final loss to Manchester City in which the forward came off the bench for
the final 17 minutes.
Having led his nation to Russia, Iwobi featured in all three of Nigeria’s World
Cup group matches in the summer of 2018 but defeats against Argentina and
eventual finalists Croatia proved fatal as the Super Eagles failed to qualify
for the knockout stages.
Unrattled by the blow, Iwobi returned to Arsenal and enjoyed his most
productive goals coring season to date last term, kicking it off by applying a
clinical finish to a flowing, 18-pass team move in a 3-2 opening weekend loss
against old foes Chelsea.
It was against the same opposition that his sixth and final goal of 2018/19
came 10 months on, albeit against the backdrop of Arsenal’s crushing 4-1 Europa
League final defeat in Baku.
Nevertheless, a fruitful campaign also saw the improving Iwobi add a further 51
Arsenal appearances to his tally, while his record of nine assists was bettered
only by France international forward Alexandre Lacazette.
It means the Everton-bound Iwobi leaves the Emirates having contributed 15
goals and 27 assists in 149 games. Of those, he started a hefty 103.
And Iwobi’s impact at international level continues to be felt, too. An
integral figure as Nigeria finished third in the Africa Cup of Nations last
month, he notched the winner to settle a thrilling five-goal contest against Cameroon
in the last-16 – his sixth international goal.
The Super Eagles’ 1-0 victory over Tunisia in the
third-place play-off saw Iwobi collect his 36th cap at the age of just 23.
Everton had to bide their time in their pursuit of Iwobi but beat the transfer
deadline to land their man on Thursday evening, tying him to a five-year deal
until the summer of 2024.
He became the Blues’ seventh summer acquisition, reuniting with former colleague Walcott, but was not registered in time to be eligible for Saturday’s Premier League opener at Crystal Palace.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles were held to a 2-2 draw by FIFA World Cup-bound Jordan in an eventful international friendly in Antalya on Tuesday night, with the contest overshadowed by a late red card to Alex Iwobi.
Iwobi, making his 98th appearance for the national team, was sent off in the closing stages, capping a dramatic encounter in which Nigeria surrendered a first-half lead and finished the game with ten men.
The match, played at the Mardan Sports Complex, brought Nigeria’s March international window to a close, but it proved anything but routine as both sides delivered a fiercely contested and entertaining clash.
Jordan, ranked 64th in the world and enjoying strong recent form, struck first in the 17th minute through Mousa Tamari. A well-worked free-kick routine caught the Nigerian defence napping, allowing the forward to fire home the opener.
Nigeria responded quickly and thought they had equalised six minutes later when Raphael Onyedika finished from a Moses Simon cut-back, but the goal was controversially ruled out.
The Super Eagles eventually drew level in the 30th minute. Stand-in captain Moses Simon, earning his 97th cap, reacted fastest after Ademola Lookman’s effort was blocked, slotting home with a composed left-footed finish for his second goal in as many matches.
Nigeria went ahead four minutes before halftime when Bright Osayi-Samuel’s pinpoint cross found debutant Emmanuel Fernandez, who showed great composure to control and finish, giving the three-time African champions a 2-1 lead at the interval.
The second half took on a more physical tone, with goalkeeper Francis Uzoho forced off in the 57th minute after sustaining an injury while clearing the ball. Adebayo Adeleye replaced him between the posts.
Head coach Eric Chelle introduced Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi to shore up the midfield, but Jordan continued to press and were rewarded with an equaliser in the 77th minute.
Nigeria pushed for a winner late on, handing a senior debut to Philip Otele, while Samuel Chukwueze came on for Moses Simon. However, the closing moments were marred by Iwobi’s dismissal, leaving the Super Eagles to see out the match with ten men.
Despite the draw, the encounter offered valuable insights for the coaching crew as Nigeria continues preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
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By Kunle Solaja
Match Context
- Fixture: Jordan vs Nigeria
- Venue: Antalya, Turkey
- Occasion: Four-Nation Invitational Tournament
- Kick-off: Tuesday (evening)
They would have loved facing Jamaica in Mexico today for a place at the World Cup, but fate has other plans, and Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be taking on World Cup debutants Jordan in a friendly match instead in Turkey.
The encounter promises to be a revealing contest for both sides as preparations intensify for future global assignments.
The encounter, staged as part of a four-nation tournament in Turkey, will be the third meeting between the two countries, with the head-to-head record finely poised.
History Beckons in Third Meeting
Nigeria claimed a 2-0 victory in their first clash at the National Stadium, Lagos, on 28 April 2004 during the LG Cup.
However, the tables turned in 2013 when a largely experimental Nigerian side under the late Stephen Keshi suffered a 1-0 defeat in Amman, courtesy of a Hatem Aqel penalty.
This latest meeting now serves as the decider in what has quietly become a balanced rivalry.
Jordan arrive in buoyant mood, riding on the crest of a historic achievement, which is their first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup (2026).
Jordan’s Al-Nashama
Their recent form underlines a team growing in confidence and tactical discipline. In the past months, Al-Nashama have:
- Held Russia (0-0)
- Defeated Dominican Republic (3-0)
- Drawn with Mali (0-0)
- Narrowly lost to Bolivia (1-0) and Albania (4-2)
- Pushed Tunisia (3-2 loss) in a competitive encounter
They also opened this invitational tournament with a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica, further evidence of their resilience.
The team’s preparations have been boosted by a morale-lifting visit from Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, during their Antalya training camp.
Coach Jamal Al-Salami has deliberately scheduled matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica, citing their stylistic similarity to World Cup opponents such as Argentina, Austria, and Algeria.
Despite missing several key players, including star forward Mousa Ta’mari, Jordan have continued to show depth, blending senior players with youth prospects as part of a broader developmental strategy.
Nigeria head into the clash with renewed confidence after a 2-1 victory over Iran in their opening game of the tournament, with goals from Moses Simon and Akor Adams.
Unlike previous meetings, the Super Eagles are expected to field a full-strength squad, packed with Europe-based stars, something Jordanian observers have already described as a “heavyweight challenge.”
The squad boasts a blend of experience and attacking flair.
The presence of multiple attacking options gives Nigeria a clear edge going forward, while their physicality and pace could pose serious problems for the Jordanians.
Jordan are expected to adopt a compact, disciplined shape, relying on quick transitions and defensive organisation, qualities that earned them results against stronger opposition in recent friendlies.
Nigeria, by contrast, will likely dominate possession, using width and individual brilliance to break down Jordan’s defensive lines.
The key battle may lie in midfield, where Jordan’s structure will be tested against Nigeria’s blend of strength, technique, and tempo.
For Jordan, this is another step in fine-tuning a squad preparing for its historic World Cup debut—a chance to measure themselves against elite opposition.
For Nigeria, it is an opportunity to assert authority, build cohesion among its star-studded squad, and maintain momentum ahead of more competitive fixtures.
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A clash of kit colours caused confusion for players and made it difficult for fans watching on TV to tell the teams apart as World Cup co-hosts, the U.S., were accused of being responsible for a mix-up in a 5-2 friendly defeat by Belgium on Saturday.
Both teams used the match to launch the new kit they will wear at the June 11 to July 19 World Cup, which is also being held in Canada and Mexico.
The U.S. sported a design that pulls directly from the red and white stripes in the American flag, while Belgium wore their away kit, which was light blue with pink accents.
“Sometimes you had to look twice, especially if you wanted to play quickly,” Belgian winger Jeremy Doku told his national television afterwards. “I would have preferred clearer colours.”
American captain Christian Pulisic said it was difficult to deal with.
“A lot of times you get the ball, and you look up, you can’t really lock in on something. You can only base it on the colour of the shirt. That’s how it works,” he told reporters. “And when it’s very similar, it’s difficult.”
Belgian television apologised to viewers after the match, with analyst and former Belgian international Marc Degryse criticising organisers.
“Football is a product that needs to be sold. Everything always has to be better and better, yet they still managed to make the match annoying with the jerseys,” he said.
“This goes completely against the whole commercial aspect. This is really unacceptable.”
US Soccer said pictures of both jerseys were sent to match referees before the match, and at no time did they indicate they felt there was a conflict.
Belgian media said on Sunday the fault lay with the hosts, who insisted on playing in their new red and white jerseys, which clashed with both Belgium’s first-choice red strip and also the lighter away kit.
Both countries wanted to unveil their new jerseys for the first time, but after becoming aware of the situation, Belgium proposed to play in their traditional red, the reports said.
However, that was not an option because the U.S. shirt also contains a lot of red. One solution could have been for the U.S. to play in their dark blue kit, but that did not fit into their commercial plan, the reports added.
-Reuters
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