Super Eagles Star Alex Iwobi Breaks Silence After His Red Card Against Jordan
- Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has apologised for his red card during the 2-2 draw against Jordan
- Nigeria and Jordan settled for a draw during the four-nation invitational tournament in Antalya, Turkey
- The Super Eagles defeated Iran 2-1 in the first match at the same stadium during the March international games
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has apologised after receiving a red card during Nigeria’s friendly match against Jordan during the March international break.
Nigeria drew 2-2 with Jordan at the Corendon Airlines Park in Antalya, Turkey on March 31, 2026 as part of the four-nation invitational tournament.
Source: Getty Images
Captain of the day, Moses Simon, equalised after Mousa Tamari opened the scoring for Jordan. Emmanuel Fernandez doubled it before halftime, and Mohammad Al Daoud equalised for the Jordanians.
Nigeria completed the mini-tournament on a positive note, having previously beaten Team Melli of Iran 2-1 in their opening match at the same stadium.
Iwobi apologises for his red card
As noted by the NFF, tempers flared in the closing stages of the match, resulting in a red card for Alex Iwobi for unprofessional conduct on his 98th cap for Nigeria.
The incident happened in the 92nd minute and did not influence the result of the match, but the Fulham midfielder has felt the need to address it.
“I need to address what I did and apologise to all my Nigerian teammates, staff, and everyone who cares about Nigeria,” he said as quoted by Brila FM.
“My actions were not good enough, and I got sent off. But I will learn from this and keep moving on. We got a draw; we did not lose, so we will take the positives. I want to apologise for the mistake.”
It did not generate much controversy as Iwobi is one of the calmest players in the Eagles squad and also the status of the match gave him a free pass.
Football writer Osaze Ero downplayed the incident, claiming Nigerians didn't read too much importance to it because of the player involved and the nature of the match.
"Even though Nigerians criticised him heavily, they are a big fan of Iwobi's conduct off the pitch and easily give him a free pass for some things," he told Legit.ng.
"We all have that moment we lose our cool. It happens even to the best of us. It was in a friendly with not much importance, which many didn't even see on TV, so it was easily forgivable."
NFF announces friendlies for Super Eagles
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite Iwobi's optimism, and as such, Nigerians will watch the tournament at home.
However, due to the space for friendly matches for all FIFA-affiliated nations, the NFF has announced two friendly matches for the Super Eagles.
Source: Twitter
The Super Eagles will face Poland at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw on June 10, 2026, at 7:45 PM Nigerian time in the first match.
Seven days later, Nigeria will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal at a yet-to-be-announced location on June 10, similarly to how they faced the Europeans before the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The competitive matches return for the Super Eagles starting from the March international break, when the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier will kick off.
Iran coach sends message to Iran
Legit.ng previously reported that Iran's coach Amir Ghaleonei sent a message to Nigeria after the Super Eagles defeated Team Melli 2-1 in Antalya.
Ghaleonei admitted that the Super Eagles of Nigeria were too strong for his side, and the match was a good preparation ahead of the World Cup.
Source: Legit.ng
