Iwobi: ‘It’ll Be a Shame If We Don’t Qualify With Osimhen and Lookman’

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi has voiced a strong mix of confidence and caution regarding the Super Eagles' campaign to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Having already missed the 2022 edition in Qatar, Iwobi believes it would be a profound disappointment if Nigeria's current squad, packed with European talent, failed to reach the tournament in North America.

Despite boasting two consecutive African Footballers of the Year—Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman—the team has faced persistent challenges with goal scoring and overall consistency throughout the qualification process. Nigeria barely scraped into the playoff round, securing their spot as one of the best second-placed teams thanks to a decisive, last-minute goal from midfielder Frank Onyeka.

Iwobi, a veteran who featured in the 2018 World Cup and an ever-present figure in all ten of the team's recent qualifying matches, remains resolutely optimistic. Speaking to CNN ahead of this month’s critical playoff clash against Gabon’s Panthers, the former Arsenal player stressed that the Nigerian team possesses the quality and mentality to succeed on the global stage.

Iwobi stated: "We've managed to rescue ourselves from the dead... We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world."

He specifically highlighted the team's star power, adding:

We have last year's African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen)… It'll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.