By Rasheed Adewuyi, New York
Former Stationery Stores FC of Lagos forward, Segun James Okunniwa, has heaped praise on Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi for his commanding performance in Nigeria’s emphatic 4–0 victory over Mozambique in the Round of 16 at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
In an exclusive interview with JerseyNumber12, Okunniwa lauded Iwobi’s energy, vision, and ability to control the rhythm of the game, calling his display a standout in Nigeria’s dominant outing.
“Iwobi has redefined penetrating passes,” Okunniwa remarked. “He was so brilliant today that I kept asking myself, where were all these skills during the World Cup qualifiers?”
The former Shooting Stars of Ibadan player noted that while the Super Eagles put up an impressive display, there were still defensive flaws that must be urgently addressed as the team progresses deeper into the tournament.
“The last line of the defense must work hard to correct all the lapses I observed in this match,” he warned. “Nwabali was not exposed because we are yet to play a really strong team in the knockout stage. There has been a clear communication gap in the defense since the beginning of the tournament.”
Despite these concerns, Okunniwa remains optimistic about Nigeria’s title chances, tipping the team as one of the favourites. However, he issued a word of caution regarding their potential opponents.
For instance, “The Moroccans are very fast, any team that wants to beat them must be mobile and extremely disciplined defensively because of their sharp attackers.”
Nigeria now awaits the winner between Algeria and DR Congo, who face off in their Round of 16 clash on January 6, for a quarterfinal showdown on Saturday.
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