The Premier League has showered praise on Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi following his standout performance for Nigeria in their 2–1 victory over Tanzania in the opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Iwobi was the driving force behind the Super Eagles’ winning start, registering assists for both goals and dictating the tempo of the game from midfield. The 28-year-old made the breakthrough in the first half, delivering a pinpoint cross that allowed defender Semi Ajayi to rise above his marker and head Nigeria into the lead.
Tanzania mounted a response after the interval, with Kokola M’mombwa finding the net to level the contest and momentarily threaten Nigeria’s dominance.
But when Nigeria needed composure and creativity, Iwobi delivered once again. The Fulham man calmly picked out Ademola Lookman with a perfectly weighted pass, and the winger made no mistake, rifling a powerful left-footed strike into the net to restore Nigeria’s advantage and secure all three points.
Iwobi’s influence did not go unnoticed. Reacting to the performance, the Premier League took to its official X (formerly Twitter) account to commend the midfielder’s impact.
“Alex Iwobi shines for Nigeria. The @FulhamFC star assisted both goals as the Super Eagles beat Tanzania 2-1 in their first match of AFCON 2025!” the league wrote.
Nigeria will now shift focus to their next group fixture against Tunisia, scheduled for Saturday, December 27, in Fes, Morocco, as the Super Eagles look to build on an encouraging start to their AFCON campaign.
