Alex Iwobi hits 100 caps for Nigeria, and Joseph Yobo thinks he can pass 130

Reaching 100 caps for your country doesn't happen by accident. Alex Iwobi got there on June 10 in Leiria, in Nigeria's 2-1 friendly defeat to Portugal, and before kickoff the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) presented him with a commemorative jersey to mark the occasion. Ten years after his debut, the Fulham midfielder joined a very small group: only three other players in Super Eagles history had reached that number.

That exclusive club is made up of Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama and Ahmed Musa, the latter still the record holder with 110 caps. And it's Yobo, the first Nigerian to reach a century of appearances, who believes Iwobi has plenty of room to close in on that mark and even surpass it down the road.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Alex get to 130 or more, because he's still very active. He's still performing at the highest level. You always pray and hope he doesn't get injured, because that can knock you off course. But knowing Alex, his professional mindset, his commitment and everything else, I hope he goes as far as he can. I think the 130 mark can be broken, easily, especially with a player as committed as he is.Joseph Yobo

Iwobi was born in Nigeria but grew up in England, where he represented the English national team at youth level before committing to Nigeria. His senior debut came in October 2015, against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then he has been a fixture under several coaches, played at the 2018 World Cup and featured in multiple editions of the Africa Cup of Nations. One of the moments most remembered from his Nigeria career is his goal against Zambia in October 2017, which sealed the Super Eagles' ticket to that World Cup.

Now, with the century of caps already in his pocket, Iwobi has an immediate chance to keep adding to it: he was named in Eric Chelle's squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar on Friday and against Guinea-Bissau four days later.

Discipline as the starting point

For Yobo, joining this club of centurions isn't just about talent. He points to consistency, always being available and holding off the internal competition that exists in any national team.

First there's your commitment to your craft, to the skills you have as a professional footballer. You have to conduct yourself like one, because in this career there are people who aren't that disciplined. It takes a disciplined player to perform well, and you need to perform well for coaches to keep picking you. Football is very competitive, you can't hold the same level for a long time without facing competition.Joseph Yobo

Yobo himself played more than a decade for Nigeria, featuring at the 2002, 2010 and 2014 World Cups and in six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, and he lifted the continental title in 2013 as captain. His career wound down after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and he recalls that in his era the tension between European clubs and African national teams made things difficult, especially when players had to be away for the Africa Cup of Nations.

In my generation it was always difficult, because sometimes certain people tried to get involved so you wouldn't honor your national team, and you had to make a decision. For people like me, we always chose to play for the national team no matter what happened. Even if you came back and sat on the bench, we didn't care. We made that sacrifice for the national team.Joseph Yobo

Iwobi himself, after reaching the milestone, acknowledged how demanding the journey has been: "A hundred caps for Nigeria isn't easy, but I'm grateful to be able to say I'm one of the four who has done it," he said.

The list of centurions could grow again soon. Moses Simon, the Paris FC forward, arrives at this camp with 99 caps, so a single minute on the field against Madagascar or Guinea-Bissau would take him to 100 as well. Yobo, in fact, is already aware of it and believes these milestones deserve more formal recognition from the federation.

Trust me, it's a huge achievement. I congratulate him in advance, it's a big milestone. Maybe at the next home game we can get together, you never know. But it's something worth celebrating, even from the NFF's leadership, so that the younger players know that if you reach that level, you'll be honored in a different way.Joseph Yobo