Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi, has declared that Nigeria have no excuse for missing out on the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, insisting that the players have the quality to overcome any opposition.
Iwobi said the biggest threat to Nigeria’s qualification could come from within the team if the players fail to believe in themselves and take responsibility for delivering results.
The Fulham midfielder spoke after Nigeria secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Tanzania in Friday’s AFCON 2027 qualifying fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
Alhassan Yusuf gave the Super Eagles an early lead before substitute Tolu Arokodare scored twice to seal all three points, despite Tanzania briefly drawing level.
Speaking to Channels TV on Saturday, Iwobi stressed that the team must remain confident and focused on securing qualification.
“There’s no reason, there’s nothing holding us back apart from ourselves. We’re the only ones that can put ourselves down against any other team,” he said.
The 30-year-old midfielder added that the players were determined to qualify for the tournament for their families, teammates and millions of Nigerian supporters.
He also identified winning the Africa Cup of Nations as a major ambition for the squad, particularly following Nigeria’s recent near misses in the competition.
Iwobi’s comments come as the Super Eagles seek to maintain their momentum after a challenging start to their Group L qualifying campaign.
Friday’s victory took Eric Chelle’s men to six points, leaving them one point behind group leaders Guinea-Bissau in the race for qualification.
Nigeria will next face Tanzania in the return fixture in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, with another positive result expected to strengthen their qualification hopes.
For Iwobi and his teammates, the task now is to back their confidence with another strong performance on the road.
