The African Cup of Nations is a special football event

He has performed on some of the biggest stages in the world exist Premier League, but Alex Iwobi believes the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) was a “special” experience.

Over the next few weeks, 24 teams will compete for the continental title.

Fulham midfielder Iwobi will feature for his native Nigeria as they look to miss out on the title after losing 2-1 to Ivory Coast in the 2023 final.

“With CAF you can celebrate Africa through football,” he told BBC Newsbeat.

“You can see different cultures, you can see how different people dress, how people from Nigeria are, the way we go into the dressing room.

“We play music when some other countries come into the dressing room, so we celebrate our music through that as well.”

Nigeria will be looking to redeem themselves after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in a row.

Iwobi said it was “very disappointing” but the team would use it to cheer up for the Africa Cup of Nations.

“We have a responsibility to get things right and there is no better way to improve from the last Africa Cup of Nations than to win this one,” the 29-year-old said.

The Africa Cup of Nations is usually held every two years, and this time the host is Morocco.

Nigeria has won the tournament three times over the years, the last time in 2013.

Their recent defeat to Ivory Coast is still fresh in Iwobi’s mind, with him saying it “crushed” their dreams.

However, he felt the moment was “written” for striker Sebastien Haller, who scored the winning goal late in the game. Overcoming testicular cancer.

“It’s a tough loss, but you give credit where credit is due and they deserve it,” Iwobi said.

“But it also gives us momentum as we keep trying to get to the Africa Cup of Nations again and hopefully this is our story.”

The Fulham midfielder was born in Lagos but moved to London as a child. His talent was discovered early and he was selected to represent England at under-18 level.

He made his debut for Nigeria in 2015 after many years with the Three Lions and said he felt more “at home” in the squad.

“England have a lot of respect for me, they love me,” he said. “But at the same time, I feel more connected to my roots in Nigeria.”

He has since made 91 appearances, becoming the Nigerian Super Eagles’ fourth-most capped player.

Iwobi says he never imagined he would play for Arsenal, Fulham or Nigeria growing up but feels “honored and grateful” for his achievements.

Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey and Iwobi alumnus Ola Aina are also non-native players in the Nigeria national team.

Affectionately known as the “Natural Boys,” Iwobi hopes they can help open doors for others to represent their country.

“At the end of the day, you are Nigerian and you are loved no matter what,” he said.

There has been controversy over whether the Africa Cup of Nations gets the respect it deserves.

Earlier this year, Sky Sports commentator Jamie Carragher causes a stir When discussing Mohamed Salah’s chances of winning the coveted Ballon d’Or he suggested the Africa Cup of Nations should not be considered a “major event”.

Iwobi believes there is more work to be done.

“It’s definitely getting more recognition,” he said. “There’s a lot of great talent, great national representatives.

“In the Premier League, every team has a lot of players playing so awareness is growing but in my opinion it definitely deserves more respect.”

The Fulham player said if he won the game he would immediately call his parents and sister and his extended family would dance.

“I’ve heard from people before that when they win, everything stops and you become like a king, you’re just royalty,” he said.

“Anyway, just getting to the final we were treated like royalty so I can’t imagine winning it.

“It’s crazy, but I want to experience it.”

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