Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi, has described playing for the country as an enjoyable but tasking experience, which is different from what he had seen prior to his decision to dump the Three Lions of England for Nigeria.

Iwobi, who played for England at the U-17 and U-20 levels before deciding that his future was with Nigeria, made his debut for the Super Eagles on October 8, 2025.

He has since made 96 caps and scored 10 goals for Nigeria. But the former Arsenal youth prodigy said that playing for the Super Eagles has not always been easy, especially with the tardy manner the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) manages the team’s logistics.

Speaking in a podcast at the weekend, Iwobi said playing for England and playing for Nigeria are two different things.

“England’s a bit more strict. In St George’s Park or in a hotel, no one’s allowed to come in. Strict food, strict regime, that’s it.

“In Nigeria now, you’re good, you’re good, but I have to watch what I say.”

Iwobi, who got into trouble with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) during the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for posting the environment the Super Eagles’ hotel, said many of the things he took for granted while playing in England, become difficult to get when he is with the Super Eagles.

“Sometimes your flight’s not booked properly or you have to book your own flight. You get there now, sometimes the people at the airport are not ready to pick you up.”

“You sometimes have to make your own way. The hotels are okay, but sometimes the light goes. Sometimes you don’t have anywhere to charge your phone.”

Apart from the logistics, Iwobi also sees a difference in the discipline or lack of it in the Nigerian set up. He said: “In England, no one’s allowed in the hotel, but in Nigeria, people can come in your room whenever you want.”

Iwobi revealed that his father and his uncle, the former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, persuaded him to choose Nigeria over England, adding that since he made the decision, he has not regretted it. “My uncle and my dad told me to at least try once with Nigeria.

“So I tried on the U-23s just to see, and compare what I preferred. But it took a lot of convincing at the time because, as I said, in the 23s, you have to book your own flight.

“The pitch that we were training on was half grass, half astroturf and maybe a bit of sand on the side.

“The coaches were strict in the sense, if you mess up a pass, it’s not just like you’re getting told off in the air; you had to do a lap around the pitch.

“It took a lot of convincing, but I have no regrets. I loved England, but I feel like because I grew up in a Nigerian household, Nigeria has always been a part of me.”