AFCON 2025: I don't agree with it — Iwobi urges CAF to cancel 3rd place match

Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi echoed the sentiments of many critics who have called for the scrapping of the third-place playoff at the AFCON, arguing that the match is usually played with the ghost of a semi-final defeat lingering.

Iwobi and his Super Eagles won a bronze medal at AFCON 2025, after beating Egypt via penalties in the third-place playoffs. Both teams lost to the finalists, Morocco and Senegal, respectively, and disappointment wore heavily on their faces during the third-place clash.

Neither team seemed particularly enthused for the game, making for a drab encounter which was eventually settled via penalties — extra time was skipped. Hence, many have called for CAF to do away with the fixture altogether, and the Super Eagles midfielder agrees.

The Fulham midfielder said that their goal was gold, especially after the disappointment from their World Cup qualifier campaign; hence, the bronze medal is not a satisfying compensation. 

“We were surrounded by doubts after failing to qualify for the World Cup. We wanted to win gold and ended up finishing third,” he said, per Africa Soccer.

“The match was mentally difficult, because I don’t think a player can get rid of the effect of a loss in the semi-finals, and I don’t agree with holding a third-place match, but in the end we won it.”

He also showed sportsmanship by praising their opponents for the playoffs, Egypt, as well as their hosts, Morocco, for organising an excellent competition.

“The Egyptian national team played a strong match, and we studied and watched footage of them in preparation for the match.”

“Morocco is a beautiful country, with beautiful stadiums and beautiful hotels. I enjoyed the hospitality and visited the city of Marrakech, and was impressed by what I saw.”