Former Super Eagles and Brentford defender Sam Sodje has shared his thoughts on Alex Iwobi’s performances for Nigeria, Soccernet.ng reports.
Iwobi has been one of the most underrated players in the Super Eagles setup since making his debut in 2015, when he came on in the second half to replace Ahmed Musa during a 2-0 defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since then, the midfielder has gone on to earn 99 caps for Nigeria, putting him third on the country’s all-time appearance list. He is now only a few appearances away from equalling Musa’s record of 111 caps.
The 30-year-old has also built an impressive career at club level and has made 318 appearances in the English Premier League, which marks the highest by any Nigerian and the third-highest by any African player in the competition’s history.
Sam Sodje: Iwobi deserves more respect
In a recent interview with Footy-Africa, former Super Eagles defender Sam Sodje shared a honest assessment on Iwobi’s performances for both club and country.
The former Brentford centre-back believes the midfielder, who marked his 30th birthday on Sunday, deserves more recognition for his consistency and his commitment to the Super Eagles.
“I think he has done really well because when he first came to the national team, his ability was questioned because of his uncle (Jay-Jay Okocha). But I think he has improved so much because of the career he has had in England”, Sam Sodje revealed.
“I know how tough it is—we have to give him a lot of respect. So him turning 30, you know, he grew up in our face and it’s scary to say he will be 30, but he’s come to be a very experienced and important player for the national team.
“I would talk from an ex-player’s point of view, because a typical fan would probably not rank him with the best of the best. But from an ex-player who knows the game, who knows the technicality of football, I would rate him up there with the best. Because to play the way he is playing—like I said before, he is a player that plays to instructions—so that’s why in my list, he would be up there with the best”, the former Leeds United star added.
Why Iwobi has remained consistent for Nigeria
Iwobi has also made history at Premier League level, becoming the first Nigerian player to register 35 goals and 38 assists in the competition. He has also crossed the 300-appearance mark earlier in the campaign, which has further cemented his status as one of Nigeria’s most experienced players in England’s top flight.
Sodje, who also played in the Premier League during his playing days, believes Iwobi deserves to earn more praise, given how demanding the league is and how difficult it is to maintain such levels over many seasons.
“And that’s a hard thing to do, trust me. That league is a tough league.
“But he has always been a player that plays to a structure, and I think that’s why he has got so many managers that really like him. I think his ability enough is not what is getting him where he is. I think his discipline of how to play to a system has made him the player he has become.”
Since making his Super Eagles debut, Iwobi has featured at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and has won two Africa Cup of Nations bronze medals as well as one silver medal. However, he is yet to win a major international trophy with Nigeria, while the Super Eagles have also failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, including the upcoming tournament in the summer.
Sodje believes the responsibility for those shortcomings lies more with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and believes that this generation of players has been let down despite the quality.
“I think we’ve thrown it away by not qualifying for two World Cups and struggling for the last couple of Nations Cups. Because if you ask me—I know we all praise the ’94 set, the ’96 set—but believe me, with this new generation, I think we had the best generation ever and I think we blew it”, Sodje continued.
“Hopefully, they are still around for a couple of years’ time, but football is a funny game; you just never know how long you can play for. But we definitely blew it, and I don’t blame the players, I blame the organization. Missing the World Cup for two years in a row really killed the chance for these players to go out there and explore their talents and get that kind of recognition the former players had. So yeah, it’s so sad. Hopefully, they can win something because I think this is a golden generation”, he concluded.
Iwobi will now look to add to his appearances for the Super Eagles in the coming months, which would give him a great chance of breaking the all-time record and cementing his status in the national team.
