Sports
Video: Fans React as Iwobi Shares Clip of Super Eagles’ ‘Shabby’ Morocco Hotel
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has raised subtle concerns over the team’s welfare after sharing a video of their accommodation in Rabat, Morocco, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off against Gabon.
Iwobi, who arrived in camp on Sunday with several other players and team officials, is among the early call-ups already lodged at Rive Hotel, the team’s official base.
Other players currently in camp include Samuel Chukwueze, Calvin Bassey, William Troost-Ekong, Wilfred Ndidi, Moses Simon, Tolu Arokodare, and Olakunle Olusegun, with full training sessions set to begin on Monday.
However, Iwobi’s social media post showing what appeared to be substandard hotel conditions has triggered debate among fans and raised questions about the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) handling of team preparations.
This is not the first time Super Eagles players have voiced dissatisfaction with their treatment, as welfare concerns have often surfaced before major tournaments or qualifiers.
Nigeria advanced to the playoff stage after finishing second in Group C capping their campaign with a convincing 4–0 win over Benin Republic in Uyo. The team will now face Gabon in the semifinal round, with the winner progressing to meet either DR Congo or Cameroon in the final stage.
Victory in that tie would secure Nigeria a place in the intercontinental playoffs scheduled for March 2026, the final step toward qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Iwobi’s video quickly went viral, with many Nigerians expressing outrage on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Alex Iwobi showing off Super Eagles hotel in Morocco 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/8CUXVU2MDi
— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) November 10, 2025
A user, @dele003, wrote: “CAF/FIFA are utterly useless if this is the best hotel accommodation they can get in all of Morocco for a 4-days competition. It just shows the lack of organisation and uselessness that exists within those organisations. The NFF should have sent a party ahead though, maybe they could have rejected such accommodation.”
Another user, @prolific_eric, added: “Players representing the richest black nation on earth. There are still people defending this selfishness and corruption. Countries that don’t have half of Nigeria’s resources are giving their citizens and national players the best treatment. This is not even a 2-star hotel in Morocco. How selfish and pathetic can you be to treat your national team players below average.‼‼‼”
@MiraculousSound tweeted: “After working on the mentality of the players with this bad hotel you put them. Do you expect them to give you good results? For their career and football achievement they should play to qualify, but for #thenff this is bad publicity for Nigerian football.”
@MntwanaThokoza2 claimed: “NFF decided to book the team in a run down part of Morocco (which every country has). They are going to pocket the money, it’s a money looting scheme for them.”
However, not everyone shared the outrage. User @Ameboibadan defended the situation, writing: “There is nothing bad inside where they are, it is part of the training. If they actually have comfort they may forget their mission and lose, so with this, they will know that they must win or else they won’t even get transport come house. Thanks to NFF and Nigeria for this discipline.”
As the Super Eagles prepare for their upcoming clash with Gabon, the spotlight remains firmly on the NFF and the conditions surrounding Nigeria’s World Cup qualification journey.
