International Football
HOW AND WHY MUSA, IGHALO AND IWOBI LOST OUT IN AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR CONTEST
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The CAF Awards 2018 is over. Nigeria’s only mark at the colourful ceremony in Dakar Senegal was the winning of the national women’s team of the year award. In the other more elevating awards, Nigeria and Nigerians were confined to the status of anonymity.
The most prestigious of the awards is that of the Africa Footballer of the Year which was expectedly won by the rave of the moment, Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Liverpool.
In the first shortlist of 34 players, there were three Nigerians – Ahmed Musa, Odion Ighalo and Alex Iwobi.
First to be eliminated was Musa who could not make it to the next stage on December 14, 2018 when the list was pruned to 10. At that stage, it was the 18-man Technical and Development Committee of CAF that decided.
Among them is Nigeria’s Ahmed Yusuf who did not vote. His not voting could not be because there were Nigerian candidates as other members of the committee also have their nationals short listed.
The only vote that Ahmed Musa got was from Alshelmani Abdulhakimamg of Libya. He gave Musa full mark of five. That was the only mark that Musa got.
While Musa had five points, Egypt’s Mohamed Salah had 54. Sadio Mane was a distant second with 31 while Aubameyang was third with 18.
Nigeria’s Odion Igalo had no vote at all from the members of the Technical and Development Committee.
He was not alone in that category. Eight other players also scored blank.
Iwobi got into the second stage of the poll having obtained nine points to rank fifth among the initial 34. His votes were from Hazem Imam of Egypt who gave him three points while the duo of Malouche Belhassan of Tunisia and Fran Smith of South Africa each awarded him two points.
Iwobi got a point each from the duo of Uganda’s Watson Suubi Edgar and Korichi Taoufique of Algeria.
In the next stage involving the top 10 among the original 34, the coaches as well as the Technical Directors and captains of national teams voted.
Both Gernot Rohr and Mikel Obi each gave Alex Iwobi maximum five points. That helped in giving Iwobi a total of 68 points. But that was far below the 351 obtained by Mohamed Salah and 293 of Sadio Mane.
The last stage involved votes from the designated media men, legends and coaches of CAF inter clubs competitions.
Among the chosen 16 media men, only two voted for Iwobi. They are Ayotunde Adelakun, a member of Gernot Rohr’s backroom staff and Mondher Chaouachi, the head of press and communication of Esperance of Tunisia.
While Adelakun expectedly gave Iwobi his maximum point of five, Chaouachi ranked the Nigerian second and gave him four points to put his total at nine.
At that stage, Salah was already coasting home with 70 points, also profiting from Chaouachi’s five and Adelakun’s three.
Among the 10 legends that voted, there were three Nigerians – Daniel Amokachi, Mercy Akide and Perpetua Nkwocha. Daniel Amokachi did not vote for Alex Iwobi. His votes were for Mohamed Salah –five; Aubameyang – four and Sadio Mane – three.
Mercy Akide voted Iwobi as third, given him three marks while offering Salah the maximum five and Mane had four.
Perpetua Nkwocha voted similarly. She gave Iwobi three points, Salah had five, and Mane got four from her.
Iwobi got 12 points from the legends as against 50 by Salah and 31 of Mane. Apart from the six points that Iwobi got from Akide and Nkwocha, the other half came from three points from Ghana’s Black Queens’ captain, Adjoa Bayor, two points from Mark Fish of South Africa and a point from Patrick Mboma of Cameroon.
The last sets of voters were coaches of the quarter-finalists of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup in 2018. They were 16 in all. The coach of Enyimba did not vote for Alex Iwobi. Rather, his votes were for: Salah (five points), Mane (four points), Aubamayang (three points), Mehdi Benatia (Morocco & Juventus (two points) and Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City) had a point.
Overall, Iwobi had 100 points when all points scored were summed up. That put him fifth behind Salah (567), Mane (440), Riyad Mahrez (193) and Mehdi Benatia (105).
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has expressed deep appreciation to Nigerians at home and across the diaspora as he prepares to make his 100th appearance for the national team in Wednesday’s international friendly against Portugal in Leiria.
The Fulham star, who will become only the fourth Nigerian player to reach the century mark in international appearances, said he remains proud of his decision to represent Nigeria despite having featured for England at youth level.
“I am proud to be where I am today; proud to wear the green-and-white,” Iwobi said. “I am grateful to everyone, including the coach who called me up to the team for the first time. I have no regrets choosing Nigeria.”
Iwobi made his senior debut for Nigeria on October 8, 2015, in a friendly match against DR Congo in Visé, Belgium. Incidentally, it remains a notable date in Nigerian football history. October 8 marks the anniversary of Nigeria’s first-ever international match, and over the decades, it has often brought good fortune to the national team. The defeat to DR Congo was only the second loss Nigeria had suffered on that date in 77 years of international football.
Remarkably, 128 months after that debut, Iwobi—nephew of Nigerian football icon Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha—is set to celebrate his 100th cap in another friendly match on European soil.
Reflecting on the journey that has taken him from a promising youngster to one of Nigeria’s most experienced internationals, the 30-year-old revealed that he always felt a strong connection to his roots.
“I first went to the Nigeria U23 team camp and felt at home. I had represented England at youth level but always felt Nigeria was home,” he explained. “My father always told me to go out there and enjoy my football, and make the decision that I felt was good for me. He was part of the decision, but he didn’t force it down on me.”
Despite reaching a milestone achieved by only a select few Nigerian players, Iwobi remains humble about his place in the game’s history.
“After 10 years and eight months, I won’t say I am a legend; I only see myself as a Super Eagles player. It feels great to be looking at a 100th cap and, on a lighter note, I wish I could add another 100 caps. I have enjoyed my time with the Super Eagles.”
Among his many memories in national colours, Iwobi singled out his decisive goal against Zambia in Uyo in October 2017 as the most memorable moment of his international career. The strike sealed Nigeria’s qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
“I loved the occasion because my dad and my mum were both at the stadium and saw it all, and we celebrated together afterwards. It was an exciting moment,” he recalled.
While he acknowledged that winning the Africa Cup of Nations and featuring at the 2026 FIFA World Cup would have further enriched his career, he remains content with his journey.
“Yes, I would have loved to win the AFCON and perhaps be with the Eagles at the FIFA World Cup that is about to kick off in a few days, but no regrets.”
Iwobi’s father, Barrister Chuka Iwobi, described the family’s pride in the midfielder’s achievement and thanked Nigeria for the opportunity afforded his son.
“We remain ever grateful to the nation for the opportunity Alex has been given,” he said. “When he made his debut in 2015, little did we know that this was the beginning of an amazing and incredible journey which would lead to him achieving the milestone of a hundred caps and with the potential of many more caps to come.”
He praised his son’s commitment to the national team, adding: “Alex loves playing for the nation and always gives his best. No one can ever question his commitment, devotion and patriotism while wearing the green-and-white. There have been highs and lows over the years, but he has emerged stronger from the experience of playing for the country.”
Iwobi’s international career has seen him feature at four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, winning a silver medal in 2023 and bronze medals in 2019 and 2025. He also represented Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
His impending 100th cap places him in an elite group of Nigerian footballers. Former captain Joseph Yobo was the first Super Eagles player to reach the milestone, doing so during Nigeria’s Round of 16 clash against France at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama followed, earning his 100th cap in a friendly match against Uganda in Uyo.
Current captain Ahmed Musa became the third member of the exclusive club in 2021, with his landmark appearance coming in Nigeria’s victory over the Central African Republic in Yaoundé, Cameroon—a feat made even more memorable by the team’s victory on the occasion.
Now, as he prepares to join that distinguished company, Iwobi will hope to mark the occasion with a memorable performance and a victory against Portugal, adding another proud chapter to an international career spanning more than a decade and defined by consistency, commitment and unwavering loyalty to the green-and-white colours of Nigeria.
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International Football
Eriksen Suffers Fresh Collapse During Denmark Friendly, Reviving Memories of Euro 2020 Ordeal
Denmark’s football community was left shaken once again on Sunday after midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed during an international friendly against Ukraine, five years after his dramatic cardiac arrest during the European Championship.
The 34-year-old playmaker fell to the turf 20 minutes into the second half of Denmark’s friendly match against Ukraine, prompting immediate concern among players, officials and supporters who recalled the harrowing scenes from Euro 2020.
The Danish Football Association (DBU) later reassured fans that Eriksen was conscious and in stable condition.
“Christian Eriksen is conscious and is doing well under the circumstances,” the federation said in a statement posted on the social media platform X, confirming that the match had been abandoned.
Television footage showed Eriksen clutching his chest moments before collapsing, triggering a swift response from medical personnel. As had happened during Denmark’s European Championship match against Finland in Copenhagen in 2021, players from both teams quickly formed a protective ring around him while medics attended to him on the pitch.
Eriksen was eventually able to walk unaided to an ambulance before being transported to hospital for further examination.
DBU doctor Morten Boesen said the midfielder had recovered consciousness quickly and was communicating normally.
“Christian is doing well and walked from the field himself. As I see it, the pacemaker is working as it should,” Boesen told Danish media.
“He was briefly gone, but very quickly regained consciousness, and we were quickly in contact with him. He will now be examined further in the hospital to find out what caused the incident.”
Boesen added that Eriksen had asked him to reassure teammates that he was okay.
The incident inevitably revived memories of June 12, 2021, when Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening match of the European Championship against Finland. On that occasion, medical staff performed life-saving CPR on the field before he was rushed to hospital.
Following the incident, Eriksen was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD), a device designed to monitor heart rhythms and deliver corrective electrical impulses when necessary. He subsequently resumed his professional career and returned to international football, becoming an inspirational figure in the sport.
Denmark captain Pierre-Emile Højbjerg described the shock felt by players as they witnessed Sunday’s incident unfold.
“There is a throw-in, and then I go out to the side and turn around, and I see Christian on his way to the floor,” Højbjerg told Danish broadcaster TV2.
“Everyone reacted super-fast and with respect. I can only compliment the courage shown by those who took care of Christian on the field. The most important thing is that Christian is doing well.”
At the time the match was halted, Denmark were leading Ukraine 2-1. Neither nation qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
After officials called off the game, players and coaching staff from both teams gathered arm in arm in a circle at midfield in a show of solidarity.
Denmark coach Brian Riemer praised the dignified response of everyone involved.
“The most important thing is that Christian is doing well, and he has sent his regards to the players,” Riemer said.
“Now it’s about us standing together, as you could see that we did in the most dignified way on the field. It is about supporting one another and ensuring that everyone has a shoulder to lean on.”
As Danish football awaits further medical updates, Sunday’s events served as a stark reminder of one of the sport’s most frightening moments and highlighted once again the unity and compassion that can emerge in times of crisis.
By Kunle Solaja.
This Wednesday’s international friendly between Nigeria and Poland offers both nations a chance to begin rebuilding after narrowly missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles and the White-Reds both fell at the final hurdle of their respective playoff campaigns, leaving them with unfinished business as they prepare to meet in Warsaw.
Nigeria reached the African playoff final after overcoming Gabon but suffered heartbreak in a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo. Poland’s hopes were dashed in equally dramatic fashion as they defeated Albania before losing 3-2 to Sweden in the UEFA playoff final.
With World Cup dreams postponed, both sides are now focused on laying foundations for future competitions.
Both have met just once in the past, with Nigeria famously snatching a 1-0 win in a March 2018 friendly match. Victor Moses ’ 61st-minute penalty kick goal was the decider in the match in which Robert Lewandowski captained the Polish side.
For Nigeria, Wednesday’s match also presents an opportunity to maintain momentum after an encouraging run of results under Eric Chelle. The Super Eagles arrive in Warsaw unbeaten in their last five matches, including convincing victories over Zimbabwe and Jamaica en route to retaining the Unity Cup.
Poland’s recent form has been less convincing. Following a 2-2 friendly victory over Malta and a playoff win against Albania, they have suffered defeats to Sweden and Ukraine.
The match will also revive memories of the nations’ only previous meeting in March 2018, when Victor Moses’ penalty secured a 1-0 victory for Nigeria in Wroclaw ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Seven years later, both teams meet again under different circumstances but with the same objective — restoring confidence and building momentum for the future.
NIGERIA’S LAST FIVE MATCHES
Egypt 0 Nigeria 0 (AFCON third-place match: 17/01/26) – Nigeria win after penalty shootout
Iran I Nigeria 2 (International Friendly: 27/03/26)
Jordan 2 Nigeria 2 (International Friendly: 31/03/26)
Nigeria 2 Zimbabwe 0 (Unity Cup 2026: 26/05/26)
Jamaica 0 Nigeria 3 (Unity Cup 2026: 30/05/26)
POLAND’S LAST FIVE MATCHES
Poland 1 Netherlands 1 (2026 World Cup Qualifier: 14/11/25)
Malta 2 Poland 3 (2026 World Cup Qualifier: 17/11/25)
Poland 2 Albania 1 (2026 World Cup Playoff: 26/03/26)
Sweden 3 Poland 2 (2026 World Cup Playoff: 31/03/26)
Poland 0 Ukraine 2 (International Friendly: 31/05/26)
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