Man of the Match: How Alex Iwobi celebrated Super Eagles' crucial AFCON2027Q comeback win over Madagascar
The newly-minted centurion let his boots do the talking after being crowned the king of the pitch in Uyo.
Following his spectacular, masterclass display in Uyo, Iwobi took to social media to drop a crisp, professional message to millions of adoring fans.
Backing up the high praise with an elite masterclass
Just days ago, the Nigerian football public collectively crowned Alex Iwobi as one of the most disciplined, unproblematic, and exceptional professionals to wear the green-and-white jersey in the last 30 years.
On Friday evening, under the intense pressure of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium lights, the Hale End graduate proved exactly why that high praise was thoroughly deserved.
Iwobi marked his 100th cap for Nigeria recently || Imago
With Nigeria down to a shocking early opener from Madagascar, it was Iwobi who held his nerve, commanding the centre of the park for the entire 90 minutes.
Right on the stroke of halftime, the Fulham technician sliced open the visitors’ rigid low-block with a breathtaking, looping assist to set up George Ilenikhena’s crucial equaliser, completely altering the psychological momentum of the qualification opener.
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George Ilenikhena had the most touches.
A statistical destruction of the Madagascan midfield
While the younger debutants grabbed the back-page headlines with their goals, the post-match data revealed that Iwobi was the true structural engineer behind head coach Eric Chelle’s survival.
The 30-year-old midfielder registered a phenomenal, world-class 89% passing accuracy rate while driving the Super Eagles’ transitions.
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Alex Iwobi created four chances against Madagascar.
He single-handedly carved out four massive goal-scoring chances, three key passes, created two big chances, and completed an outstanding 83% of his long-ball distributions.
On the defensive end, Iwobi was equally unplayable, winning two tackles, registering nine crucial ball recoveries, and winning a flawless 100% of his aerial duels.
“A strong start” – Shifting focus straight to Bissau
Taking to his official social media accounts after a long night of treatment and recovery, the exemplary playmaker dropped a short, business-like message alongside photos of the matchday celebrations.
Iwobi simply typed: “+3 A Strong Start to Our AFCON27 Campaign.”
There was zero room for arrogance or over-celebration from the veteran star.
Iwobi has already shifted his focus entirely to the upcoming international logistics, as the Super Eagles prepare to board their flight out to face the Wild Dogs of Guinea-Bissau for their highly anticipated Matchday 2 away fixture on Tuesday.
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Super Eagles playmaker Alex Iwobi in Guinea Bissau.
If Iwobi maintains this elite, engine-room baseline baseline, Nigeria’s road to continental redemption is in incredibly safe hands.