‘It's more intelligence than physicality’ - Osayi full of praise for Iwobi's creativity and passes

Eric Chelle’s team secured a 4-0 thrashing of Mozambique on Monday night in the round of 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations competition.

The win, secured with goals from Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, and Akor Adams, marked the team's first clean sheet of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. 

While Iwobi did not score or register an assist, his incisive, line-breaking passes were instrumental in creating the opportunities that led to three of Nigeria's four goals.

Iwobi was the mastermind behind the Super Eagles' attacking phase in the game, providing killer passes to the final third.

The Fulham midfielder worked out two line-breaking passes in the first half that led to the first two goals of the game.

Osayi-Samuel pointed to the team's intelligence as a key asset, singling out Iwobi's exceptional passing ability.

"If you see today's game, it's more intelligence than physicality. You have someone like Alex [Iwobi] who threads the lines like no one is there," he explained. 

"And you have the likes of players who've won the African Player of the Year. You can see the quality of the players there. We just have to continue to do what we're doing as a team."

Nigeria will now face Algeria in the quarter-final on Saturday after defeating DR Congo, with hopes of reaching the semi-final.