Iwobi Set To Break Ahmed Musa's Nigeria Record In High-Profile Portugal Friendly

Posted : 08 June 2026

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi is on the verge of breaking a historic national team record held by Ahmed Musa. The milestone could be reached when the Super Eagles face Portugal in an international friendly match on Wednesday evening. The highly anticipated encounter is scheduled to take place at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria.

The versatile midfielder currently sits on 99 senior international appearances for the West African giants. If he features for even a single minute against the European side, he will join an elite group of Nigerian football legends. Iwobi will become only the fourth player to hit the 100-cap milestone; he follows in the footsteps of legendary icons Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama, and Ahmed Musa.

More significantly, the former Arsenal academy graduate will become the fastest player in Nigerian history to reach a century of appearances. He made his senior international debut on October 8, 2015, during a friendly match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Featuring against Portugal will see him achieve the centennial feat in exactly 10 years and 245 days.

This achievement will officially eclipse the long-standing record held by veteran forward Ahmed Musa. The current record holder reached his 100th cap during a World Cup qualification fixture against the Central African Republic on October 10, 2021; that milestone was achieved 11 years and 35 days after his initial debut against Madagascar.

Iwobi recently arrived at the Super Eagles training camp in Lisbon after recovering from a late-season hamstring injury. Head coach Éric Chelle is dealing with a significantly depleted squad due to the high-profile absences of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. The Franco-Malian tactician is expected to rely heavily on Iwobi's top-tier experience to guide an experimental Nigerian lineup.

The exhibition match represents a vital test for both nations under contrasting circumstances. Roberto Martínez's star-studded Portugal squad is using the fixture as their final warm-up match before traveling to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, the Super Eagles are focused on building tactical cohesion ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers starting this September.

Iwobi Set To Break Ahmed Musa's Nigeria Record In High-Profile Portugal Friendly

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