Iwobi was a member of the team that advanced to the semi-finals of the 2019 Cup of Nations, and they advanced to the final two years ago in the Ivory Coast before succumbing to the hosts.
Despite rumors of disputes with the national football federation over bonuses, he claimed that a friendlier atmosphere off the field was now bringing out the best in him and a team in its prime.
At a crowded press conference in the Moroccan city, the 29-year-old Fulham star stated, “I feel like the difference is the sense of brotherhood, the family environment that we have created for each other.”
Naturally, we have performed exceptionally well at past AFCONs. Although we were young and still getting to know one another, the team was incredibly strong.
We are a large family and there is a strong sense of unity both on and off the field. The coach is the first to bring that camaraderie.
Nigeria struggled to qualify for the World Cup, and their hopes of reaching the championships were dashed when they lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on penalties in a play-off match in Rabat in November.
That was in spite of a significant improvement in performance after former Mali manager Chelle was appointed a year ago.
Iwobi asserted, “We have always given 100 percent.”
“We also wanted to win in the World Cup qualifiers, but it was a challenging moment for us. We have used that disappointment as motivation to go and achieve something for our country, for ourselves, and for our families.”
Ndidi was suspended.
In the meantime, Chelle acknowledged that his task was made simpler by the presence of two recent African player of the year winners, forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
With 14 goals, including four from Osimhen and three from Lookman, Nigeria leads the competition.
However, it’s unclear how they would fare against Morocco without banned captain Wilfred Ndidi in midfield; Club Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika is a possible alternative.
“There are some really talented players in our group who are waiting for the opportunity to show something,” Chelle remarked.
With around 70,000 supporters at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Morocco, the top-ranked country in Africa, will be looking to maximize home advantage.
Walid Regragui, their coach, is cognizant of the caliber of Nigerian players.
Regragui cautioned, “We will need to be strong mentally, but when you get to the AFCON semi-finals, you need to raise your concentration levels, run more to stop Nigeria taking a breather, or be able to play with the same impact.”
The man who guided the Atlas Lions to the 2022 World Cup semifinals is under tremendous pressure to win the competition at home and is aware that many people will be out to get him if he doesn’t.
“It’s like this in my country—you have to accept that when you are Morocco’s coach,” he remarked.
“You have detractors for every outcome. I continue to concentrate on my team. Every time, I defend both my nation and the detractors. I tell my players that I can’t argue about this. What matters is what they do on the field.
