Alex Iwobi finally reveals why he snubbed England to play for Nigeria
Iwobi admitted his family, including his uncle and former Bolton star, Jay-Jay Okocha, played a pivotal role in the decision.
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| Iwobi and Javier Mascherano fights for the ball in a friendly match in Russia, Nigeria won 4-2 |
“I was growing up in England and England was the only national team I knew, so I was actually very pleased to play at the national level,” Iwobi told Soccer Laduma.
“However, my family are all from Nigeria, I was born in Nigeria, my uncle (Jay-Jay Okocha) is a legend in Nigeria.
“That’s why I thought I would give it a chance. That’s why I went to the U23s and somehow felt more welcome, and I thought it’s where I belong, so I made the decision to switch.”
Meanwhile, Argentina defender, Javier Mascherano, has reserved special praise for Nigeria midfielder, Alex Iwobi, after his brace as the Super Eagles defeated the South Americans 4-2 in a high-profile friendly game in Russia.
Speaking after the game, Mascherano lamented how his side threw away a two-goal lead, but admitted that Nigeria deserved to win on the strength of their second-half display.
“It’s better to lose this way before we get to the World Cup, and the Nigerian team are obviously one of the most physical sides we have faced in a while.
“We dominated the first half but they scored from their only shot on target before the half time break. Their second goal was well taken by the Arsenal lad (Iwobi) then the fourth goal by same player killed the game off.
“He (Iwobi) took his goals really well, maybe we should have defended better but the quality of the second strike from the edge of the box makes me think otherwise. Congratulations to Nigeria, they deserve to win,” the Barcelona defender stated.
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