Iwobi, Ndidi fired up for 2025 AFCON qualifiers

Super Eagles midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi are charged up for the upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda as the national team look to redeem themselves in the next international window, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7 in Uyo before filing out against Rwanda three days later.

Coincidentally, both teams are in Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying group, and Benin Republic, led by former Nigeria coach, Genort Rohr, had beaten the Super Eagles in their first leg encounter played in Abidjan in June.

Ahead of the clashes, Ndidi and Iwobi spoke on the sidelines of their EPL meeting at Craven Cottage on Saturday, and they are both eager to see the Eagles get back on track.

“To be honest, it’s not where we want to be, so we have to regroup and correct some mistakes, then go all in those matches; we definitely need the win. They had their win in Abidjan; we see what happens in Uyo,” Leicester City midfielder Ndidi said via the Super Eagles X account.

Iwobi, who scored the winner for Fulham in their 2-1 win over Leicester on Saturday, is also optimistic that the players will replicate their club forms in the Super Eagles.

“We have a lot to prove. I always say we have a lot of quality in the team, and hopefully we can get the points we need to qualify because it’s something we want to achieve,” Iwobi said.

“The same way the fans demand is how we demand from ourselves too as players; we know how we do it for our club sides; we just want to do that consistently for Nigeria as well.”

However, the Nigeria Football Federation is yet to name a substantive coach for the team with less than two weeks to the matches.

The Super Eagles have been without a coach since Finidi George resigned following Nigeria’s disappointing performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic in June.

Swedish manager Janne Andersson and former Ivory Coast coach Harve Renard have been linked with the job.