Nigerians took to the streets to celebrate Alexander Chuka Iwobi following Super Eagles quarter finals ticket at the Egypt 2019 African Cup of Nations. Defending Champions, Indomitable Lions fell 3-2 in Alexandria.
Iwobi got the winner in a pulsating encounter that saw old foes, Cameroon rise from a goal down to take the lead. Odion Ighalo hit a brace. His first goal was the opener, his second the equaliser. Iwobi scored the third goal.
The Egyptian town, Alexandria, was founded by Alexander the Great, warrior King of Macedonia who tried to conquer the known world in his time. It is remarkable that Alexander Iwobi made Nigerians happy in Alexandria.
Iwobi’s goal in Uyo qualified Nigeria for the Russia 2018 World Cup. It was against Zambia’s Chipolopolo. Super Eagles needed just a goal to hit Russia. It never came, not until Iwobi came. The Zambians were also fighting to earn a Mundial ticket.
Coach of the Chipolopolo, Wedson Nyirenda knew his way round Nigeria. A member of the Power Dynamos team that dethroned BCC Lions as African Winners Cup champions in 1991, he followed the exploits of Nigerian soccer stars.
Nyirenda scored in the 3-2 loss to BCC in the Gboko first leg and played a huge role in Lusaka when Power Dynamos recovered from an early own goal to beat the Cement Boys 3-2. That was the first time Zambia would win a continental trophy.
I was in Lusaka for that game and Nyirenda had a long chat with me at the Intercontinental Hotel in Long Acres. His eyes were on Nigeria. He was particularly interested in joining Udoji United even when I tried to take his mind to Iwuanyanwu National.
Twenty six years later, the same Nyirenda was in Nigeria as coach of Zambia. He made things difficult for Nigeria. The deadlock was broken by Iwobi. His goal sent Nigeria quaking with excitement. President Muhammadu Buhari was part of the celebrations.
The Super Eagles thus qualified for the Russia 2018 World Cup even with a game to spare. The last game against Algeria, at away, ended 1-1 draw. Nigeria made it from a tough qualifying group that included three other former African champions, Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia.
Iwobi played a massive role in the qualification. Although his Eagles’ debut came in 2015 against Democratic Republic of Congo in Belgium, he did not score until 2016. It was in the first World Cup group qualifying match against the same Zambia.
The Chipolopolo were shocked right at their Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola backyard by Iwobi. He fired the first goal for Nigeria. Kelechi Iheanacho made it two. The Eagles won 2-1. It was a good beginning and it led to World Cup ticket.
Iwobi’s goal in Uyo saved Nigeria again but in a different way much later. FIFA punished the country for fielding an ineligible player in the 1-1 draw with Algeria. The game was awarded to the Desert Foxes, 3-0.
If Iwobi had not scored against Zambia in Uyo, Nigeria would have been in serious trouble. Chipolopolo would have qualified for Russia 2018 because a goalless draw in Uyo meant death sentence.
Onyekachi Umesiobi put it in a better perspective. “That goal (Iwobi’s in Uyo) sent us to the World Cup in retrospect when you factor in that FIFA awarded our last match to Algeria 3-0. Without that lone goal that won the match for us in Uyo, Zambia would have qualified instead.”
That is the truth. The Zambian coach was determined to shock Nigerians in Uyo just like Iwobi and Iheanacho did to his country men in Ndola. Elder brother, Stone Nyirenda was in the Kenneth Kaunda (KK) Eleven squad that bombed Italy 4-0 at the Seoul ’88 Olympic Games.
The Zambian National Team changed to Chipolopolo after trade unionist, Frederick Chiluba defeated Kenneth Kaunda in the 1991 presidential elections.
Back to Iwobi. The hero of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and conqueror of defending champions, Indomitable Lions at the Egypt 2019 All Africa Games is not a happy man today.
A promising Eagles team that enjoyed a hundred percent record in the first round of the ongoing Cameroon 2022 African Nations Cup disappointed Nigerians. Tunisia, with a dismal group outing, dismissed Nigeria in the round of 16.
Fanatics descended on Iwobi who was sent off after just seven minutes of his introduction. Some accounts say death threats have been issued.
The good thing is that Iwobi also feels the pains of compatriots. He has apologised for the early exit. And my take is that it should end there. Football is full of surprises.
Iwobi has paid his dues. He is going to do even more. Failure is the backdoor to success. I am so sure that soon and very soon, the same fanatics who are calling for his head, will carry him shoulder high from Lagos to Onitsha.
The strictures will help Iwobi’s game. It happened to his uncle Austin Okocha. The Super Eagles were stoned in Lagos after a goalless draw with the Red Devils ( Diables Noire) of Congo in a group game at the 2000 African Nations Cup.
Fans were ready to delete Jay Jay from their Book of Favourites. It was so bad that when I traveled to Ghana in 2001, some Ghanaian soccer followers wondered what went wrong with Okocha.
They were disappointed that Okocha, their idol, was anonymous at the Accra Stadium when Ghana, full of home based players, held star studded Nigeria to a goalless draw in a World Cup qualifier.
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Okocha came back to life. He captained Nigeria and was the hero of the Tunisia 2004 Nations Cup. At Bolton Wanderers, England, he performed magic. They called him ‘Okocha cha-cha-cha.’
Today, Jay Jay is a hero and is seen all over the world doing great ambassadorial jobs. He is right now on the panel of analysts covering the African Nations Cup for Supersports, South Africa.
Iwobi is lucky to come from a family of footballers. His father, Chuka also played good football. He began from Dennis Memorial Grammar School Juniors to Vasco Da Gama Enugu.
The younger ones may not know that Vasco Da Gama made life difficult for Enugu Rangers. Some big names from Vasco are Patrick Ekeji, Johnny Nwadioha, Okey Emordi, Ignatius Ikechukwu, Charles Adimora, Ahamefula Umelo, Francis Okorie, Emma Osigwe, Pat Okala and Akeem Ashiru.
Chuka Iwobi, Alex’s lawyer dad, still goes by the nickname, ‘Mehalla’. Apparently, the sobriquet came after Enugu Rangers defeated Egyptian Club, Mehalla in the semi finals of the African Cup for Champion Clubs (today’s CAF Champions League) in 1975.
This same Alex Iwobi is just 25. He will do even more with the Super Eagles. He has an African Nations Cup bronze medal. He scored at Egypt 2019. His uncles, Emma and Austin also scored at the Nations Cup.
The family is full of laurels, gold silver and bronze, from the Olympics and African Nations Cup. Alexander Chuka Iwobi is coming back stronger. Nigerians will nickname him Alexander the Great.