Sports
Can Iwobi Become Nigeria’s Undisputed No 10 ?
One has to go back to the 4-0 pummelling of Cameroon during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers to find the last time the Super Eagles produced a dominant display at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
The exact scoreline was repeated against Libya in the crunch 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo, and even though it was not a completely commanding performance, despite Odion Ighalo stealing the headlines with his hat-trick, it was Alex Iwobi that stood out in Uyo as the team’s creative force.
It was suggested prior to kick-off that coach Gernot Rohr should start Iwobi in the number 10 role if a 4-2-3-1 formation was employed, and that was exactly how the German tactician utilised him.
It proved to be the masterstroke.
Rohr has previously employed captain John Obi Mikel in that position, and he certainly thrived in the 3-1 routing of Algeria and the 4-0 routing of the Indomitable Lions, in which he scored.
However, Mikel is not much of a creative player, as he is used more as a defensive midfielder at club level.
Kelechi Iheanacho is the other man to be employed just behind the centre forward, but he has endured nightmarish performances in that role, so much that his worth as a football player has been questioned.
This is where Iwobi comes in, and it is no surprise that he was so much at ease on the pitch in Uyo and Sfax, Tunisia.
The midfielder was able to control the tempo of the game, link up well with the attackers, with his vision contributed to Ighalo’s second goal. He almost provided left-back Jamilu Collins with his senior debut international goal.
Indeed, Iwobi’s passing accuracy and involvement in the game were so awesome that Nigeria would have put more goals past the Libyans were it not for wasteful play from Ighalo and Samuel Kalu.
It was certainly the kind of performance that suggested that the nephew of Jay-Jay Okocha is the right man for a central role, rather than the wide positions he’d been occupying previously.
This is not to say that the 22-year old is not a good wideman, his performance against Zambia in the World Cup qualifiers is testament to that, but Iwobi saves his best performances when playing the No. 10 role because it gives him the chance and space to express himself on the pitch.
He had previously played in this role in the 2-1 pre-World Cup friendly defeat by England at Wembley.
The Super Eagles were trailing 2-0 at the break and a change in tactics by Rohr saw Nigerians dominate and take control of the second half. Iwobi was in the thick of things as the playmaker, and it was no surprise that he got the consolation goal.
If there had been more time, Nigeria could have clawed their way back into the contest.
The evidence suggests that Iwobi will only show his best as a No. 10, where he can also get the most out of the players around him.
Even his recent performances for this club Arsenal is an indication of his potential.
The hope is that Rohr realises this.
The former Burkina Faso gaffer has been known to be heady with his selections, picking players who have little or no input such as Elderson Echiejile and Ogenyi Onazi.
However, having softened his stance in recent times, it will do a lot of good and be to the benefit of Nigeria if he does likewise with Iwobi. Fayiga writes for goal.com
Kunle Fayiga
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
One of the greatest strikers of the past 15 years, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, is among the big names who will not be playing at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The 37-year-old Barcelona striker, who has scored 89 goals for his country, was not able to inspire his side as they lost 3-2 in Stockholm against Sweden in Tuesday’s play-off final.
Lewandowski, who won the German Bundesliga title on 10 occasions, twice with Borussia Dortmund and then in eight successive seasons with Bayern Munich, before winning La Liga twice with Barca, may have played in his last major international tournament.
Lewandowski captained Poland at the World Cup in 2018, but did not score in Russia as his country came bottom of the group. He had a better tournament four years later in Qatar, scoring twice as Poland reached the last 16 before losing to France.
He netted four times in Group G in 2026 qualifying only for Poland to finish three points behind the Netherlands, before losing to Sweden on Tuesday.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
Another star that will be missing in action at the mundial is Gialuigui Donnarumma of Italy.
Italy lost in the World Cup play-offs for a third successive qualifying tournament
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season since he moved from Paris St-Germain for £26m in September, after helping the French club win the Champions League last season.
Despite being player of the tournament as Italy won the 2020 European Championship, he misses out on a World Cup again after Italy lost 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund and Guinea)
Serhou Guirassy is Fourth in the list of Bundesliga top scorers this season
Serhou Guirassy has established himself as one of most prolific strikers playing in Europe, with 62 goals in the German Bundesliga over the past three seasons, while no player scored more than his 13 goals in the Champions League in 2024-25.
But he will not be at the World Cup as his country Guinea went out in the first round of African qualifying, finishing fourth in their group, with only four wins and three draws from their 10 matches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia and PSG)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Paris St-Germain become European champions last season, scoring in the 5-0 final win over Inter Milan, and he came 12th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
But Georgia had a miserable campaign in World Cup qualifying as they only picked up three points from a group that contained Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray and Nigeria)
Victor Osimhen has scored 26 goals for club and country this season
Victor Osimhen helped Napoli win Serie A in 2023 before moving to Galatasaray, where he grabbed 26 goals in 30 games to take them to the Turkish title last season.
Nigeria drew five of their 10 matches in the first group phase as they finished one point behind winners South Africa, but then had a second chance in the following play-off.
With Osimhen already substituted, Nigeria lost on penalties to DR Congo to miss out on the World Cup.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool and Hungary)
Dominik Szoboszlai has scored 12 goals for Liverpool this season
Liverpool and Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has impressed this season and scored some stunning long-range goals.
But he will not be at the World Cup after his country let a 2-1 lead slip in their final group game with the Republic of Ireland scoring twice in injury time to clinch a spot in the play-offs and eliminate Hungary.
Female wrestlers in action at Governor Diri Wrestling Classics.
Ondo State wrestlers dominated the women’s events on Day six of the fourth Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa on Monday, claiming gold medals in two of the four women’s freestyle categories.
African champion Khadijat Idris of Ondo State led the charge in the 55kg division, defeating rising talent Mary Ayeloh of Bayelsa State by technical superiority to claim gold. Happiness Soso of Delta State and Augustine Rhoda of Lagos State took bronze medals in the category.
Damola Ojo also flew the Ondo flag proudly in the 76kg event, retaining her title after defeating all opponents in a round-robin format. Nigeria Army wrestler Laide Ojo settled for silver, while Juliet Ogo of Bayelsa State and Mercy Alison of Abia State each claimed bronze.
In the 62kg category, Patience Kakanda of Bayelsa State produced the upset of the day, defeating Nigeria Army’s Precious Tieberi 3-1 in the final to be crowned the new champion. Isioma Abojei of Delta State and Blessing Apah of Dynamite Club won bronze medals.
Rivers State’s Esther Asaolu also retained her title in the 59kg division, overcoming all her opponents in the round-robin format, with Patience Opuene of Bayelsa State finishing as runner-up.
In the men’s events, Solomon Ulabo of Bayelsa State claimed gold in the 79kg category, with Kpum Ayibasisei of Edo State taking silver and Rasheed Saliu of Ondo State and Ebisindei Okorie of Dynamite Club winning bronze. NewLife Ebikeme of Bayelsa State won the 92kg gold, ahead of Perezidei Obaze of Edo State in silver position, while Tobechukwu Udeh of the Nigeria Army and Timilehin Adekanmi of Ondo State claimed bronze medals.