Alex Iwobi breaks his silence after Nigeria’s AFCON exit

The Everton winger ended his silence, two days after his dismissal in Nigeria’s shock defeat to Tunisia in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Alex Iwobi has vowed Nigeria will be back ‘stronger’ following their surprise AFCON exit on Sunday night.

The three-time AFCON champions lost 1-0 to Tunisia in a last-16 clash. An early second-half goal from Youssef Msakni ended Nigeria’s 100%-winning record, having previously won all three of their Group D fixtures.

Iwobi got sent off in the match, shortly after coming on as a substitute. A VAR review prompted the referee to rescind a yellow card for a red due to a dangerous tackle on Youssef Msakni in the 66th-minute, leaving Nigeria down to 10-men.

Just minutes after coming on Everton's Alex Iwobi is sent off after the referee upgrades his yellow card to a red one following a VAR Review! 😮 pic.twitter.com/bEpQpU6SMJ

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 23, 2022

‘We will be back to fight for our nation, stronger’

The 25-year-old has now taken to social media to thank the fans for their support in Cameroon and around the world while promising to do better in the future.

“Moments of joy can quickly turn into pain and anguish. As much as it’s a part of football, we came for more,” Iwobi posted on Twitter.

“Our fans who shared these moments with us both in Cameroon and across the world deserved more! The beauty of the game is the next moment of jubilation is never too far round the corner.

“We will be back to fight for our nation, stronger. We owe it to you, and I owe it to myself.

“Thank you for all the words of support and encouragement – it doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Nigeria return to action on March 23 for the first of a double-header with old foes Ghana in a 2022 World Cup qualifying playoff.