Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi has declared himself fit and ready for Nigeria’s June friendlies against Poland and Portugal, handing Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle a welcome boost ahead of what promises to be the most demanding tests of his reign, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Iwobi had been a fitness concern after sustaining a hamstring injury against Brentford in April, but the 30-year-old recovered to start Fulham’s final two Premier League matches and has confirmed he is in good shape for the international window.
“I’m grateful to be back fit after injury,” Iwobi said on the Alexander Yaa Digg podcast.
“I was able to finish the season feeling good. Of course, I’ve got to get ready for the international break, but I have a little time off to refresh.”
His availability is particularly significant given a heavy wave of withdrawals from the squad.
Victor Osimhen has been left out for personal reasons, while Ademola Lookman, Femi Azeez, Samson Tijani, Alhassan Yusuf and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro have also been ruled out, leaving Chelle to reshape his plans considerably.
Should Iwobi feature in the opening fixture against Poland in Warsaw, he will earn his 100th cap for the Super Eagles, becoming only the fourth player in Nigerian football history to reach the landmark after Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama and Ahmed Musa.
The former Arsenal academy product, who became cap-tied to Nigeria in March 2016, reflected on a mixed domestic campaign before turning his attention to the challenge of facing Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Robert Lewandowski’s Poland on their own turf.
“The 2025/26 season has wrapped up, a season of ups and downs. Of course, we wanted to secure a European spot, but it wasn’t meant to be. Nonetheless, we’ve got to be proud of what we achieved and how far Fulham has come as a club,” he said.
Iwobi also cast his eye back on Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, insisting the team’s ambitions will only grow from here.
“When you go to a tournament, you want to win it, but to achieve third place in a tough competition is still credit to ourselves. We always strive to achieve more. Hopefully, next season we can do that. I can do that again personally as well — personally try to get more stats, more goals,” he added.