‘I’m not afraid to show who I am’: Alex Iwobi on how family and faith forged the Super Eagles star of today
By Aleks Klosok, Darren Lewis, CNN
London (CNN) — Alex Iwobi vividly remembers the day: Friday, August 8, 2019.
The transformative moment? A late, unexpected move for the then 23-year-old on transfer deadline day from his boyhood club of Arsenal to Premier League side Everton.
The day, that as he says, he “became a man.”
“It happened so fast,” Iwobi tells CNN Sports. “It was a decision that was almost instant.”
No longer a “London boy,” now he was to be molded by the culture, language and soccer of northern England.
It was time to embrace the unknown.
“I’m leaving home. I’m literally by myself a lot more. It’s almost like I’m moving to another country,” he recounts.
“Learning the accents, the demeanor and the football style is very, very different so I had to embrace that.
“It was a lot, but I’m grateful for Everton and the family up there. They welcomed me with open arms, and they made my life easy … It made me the man I am today.”
‘It’s a part of who I am’
Fast-forward six years and having moved back down to London to join Fulham in September 2023, the midfielder is now one of the senior figures in the dressing room – an experienced, mature figure comfortable to “showcase who I am.”
Key to that level of comfort is his Christian faith: an integral part of his day to day life.
“I’ve learned this the older I’ve got (that), if you don’t accept me for who I am, that’s literally on you. I’m not afraid to show who I am,” he explains.
“When I’m playing in Nigeria, we’re literally praying before training, on the bus praying before matches,” he recounts. “It’s (Christianity) a part of who I am.
“As long as people can embrace and showcase who they are, no one should be afraid to do that, and it’s amazing to see in this day and age everyone’s comfortable doing that now.”
Giving back
Being back in London has also meant reconnecting with his community roots and embracing the charitable instincts engendered by his parents.
“My dad’s the sort of guy that when the people are coming to collect dustbins, he’s leaving bottles of water,” he says.
“Little things like that stick with me and it’s only right that I’m able to help the community the same way my parents do.”
How does Iwobi give back to the community? By opening his own temporary corner shop, AleXpress, in East London where he spent his elementary school years.
Opened during last year’s Christmas season, the pop-up establishment provided festive treats and essentials, including turkeys, to families unable to pay for their holiday dinners.
“Sometimes, you get comfortable like we can just go to the shop and get a turkey and maybe not feel it,” he recalls.
“We take it for granted what people go through – it’s hard. To see it firsthand how much a turkey means to someone was amazing.
“This really means a lot for them.”
Iwobi, who was honored at the recent Best of Africa Awards in London with the Baobab Award in Sport for inspiring millions beyond his performances on the pitch, hopes to bring back the shop this year.
“I like to be celebrated for the little things I do, but to be celebrated in such a big continent like Africa, it’s a privilege to be … recognized for what I do,” he says.
African pioneer
It’s not just off the pitch where the Nigerian is making his mark. On it, he’s a pioneer for the African game.
The 29-year-old’s appearance in the Premier League encounter against Newcastle United in October marked a significant moment in Iwobi’s pro career.
A feat that only four other players from the continent had done before him: reaching a milestone 300 Premier League appearances.
The Lagos-born star joined illustrious company in the form of Kolo Toure (353), Mohamed Salah (309), Wilfried Zaha (305) and Jordan Ayew (305).
And significantly he became the first Nigerian to reach the landmark, surpassing the previous appearance record of 298 set by compatriot Shola Ameobi.
“I’m not one to take time and breathe and see what I’ve done. I like to keep on going,” he says reflecting on his achievement.
“When I came home from the Newcastle game, even though it was a defeat, just speaking to my parents and how excited they were gave me so much joy.”
World Cup ambition
Iwobi is hoping to continue the positive vibes by guiding Nigeria to next year’s FIFA World Cup.
It would mark his second appearance at the Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The squad’s path, though to United States, Canada and Mexico has been far from straightforward.
Two coaches departed the team during the early, turbulent stages of the first phase of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs with a viewing to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” admits Iwobi.
“We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world,” he adds.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen).
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
