When Alex Iwobi steps onto the pitch against Portugal in Leiria on Wednesday (today), he will enter a conversation reserved for only three other Nigerians in the history of the Super Eagles. Iwobi will become only the fourth man to reach a century of appearances, joining Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama and Ahmed Musa in one of African football’s most exclusive clubs, PETER AKINBO writes
Joseph Yobo — 100 caps, seven goals (2001–2014)
Joseph Yobo stands as a colossus in Nigerian football history, the first man to reach the 100-cap milestone for the Super Eagles and the defender upon whom Nigeria’s backline was built for well over a decade.
Born in Kono, Rivers State, Yobo made his international debut in 2001 and quickly established himself as one of the most commanding centre-backs the continent had produced — a player of physical authority, aerial dominance and calm leadership who made the shirt feel safe.
He represented Nigeria at three FIFA World Cups (2002, 2010 and 2014) and featured at six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, a record of service that spoke to how indispensable he became across successive generations of the Super Eagles squad. His trophy cabinet includes an AFCON winner’s medal from the 2013 edition in South Africa, where he captained the side to the title and lifted the trophy in what remains one of Nigerian football’s defining images.
