Nigeria national football team midfielder Alex Iwobi is back on the pitch and winning as Everton secured a narrow win in a pre-season warm-up match.
FC Stade Nyonnais were their opponents for their first pre-season game ahead of the 2023/24 season and the Super Eagles midfielder featured in the game which was played in Switzerland, where their opponents are based.
The Toffees ran out 2-1 winners in a match that had the atmosphere of an official game thanks to the effort from both sets of players.
Everton now look forward to the rest of their pre-season camp.
Smooth. pic.twitter.com/QM2mI4YlFr
— Alexander Iwobi (@alexiwobi) July 14, 2023
Nyon 1-2 Everton: The match as it happened
With all the Premier League sides now in their various pre-season camps, Alex Iwobi joined up with his Everton teammates after spending some time on holiday in Nigeria and in various locations around the world following the Super Eagles' victory over Sierra Leone in their AFCON qualifiers 2023 game.
Everton, who escaped relegation at the expense of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi's Leicester City, took their pre-season camp to Switzerland.
The game against Stade Nyon is the first of five pre-season games that the Toffees have lined up. The match against Nyon wrapped up their training camp in Switzerland and the 2 – 1 win left the team feeling good about their preparations.
Katia Kouyate from the Everton U-21 side opened the scoring for Everton in the second half. Neal Maupay scored from the spot shortly after.
Nyon reduced the deficit through Dylan Dugourd, who scored an impressive volley to set up a tense finish.
Alex Iwobi’s teammates held on to take the win, a well-deserved victory to end their week-long training camp in Switzerland.
Getting In Those (S)Miles. pic.twitter.com/ZqxboY6Dsi
— Alexander Iwobi (@alexiwobi) July 12, 2023
Alex Iwobi started the match alongside regulars Idrissa Gana Gueye, AFCON 2021 winner with Senegal, James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil and Neal Maupay.
The first half team was a mix of regulars and youth players who the manager Sean Dyche was assessing ahead of the new season.
Iwobi and co were taken off for a few more first-team and youth players.
Dele Alli was also spotted in the stands and was given an ovation for being there in response to his heart-rending interview with Gary Neville.
Sean Dyche comments on Alex Iwobi and co's form in first pre-season game
Speaking after the match, Everton manager Sean Dyche said: “The victory is irrelevant to be honest because we need people fit.
“We have already got people who have gone down injured – not seriously it must be said – and a couple with a sickness bug.
“It has been very hot here and the weather has just affected them, shook their bodies a little bit and we still have a number of first team players to come back from fitness [issues] and there are still players away having a rest because they have played so much football during the summer.
“So that being considered, at the end of a very tough week, it was a decent outing for us. For a lot of the young players it is the first time they have been in the first team and they have found it a tough week, let’s say, so I wasn’t expecting miracles from them.”
"I think it’s been a good camp. It’s good to get a game just to finish the week, but it’s more about the fitness."
The boss reflects on a week of hard work and today's victory. 🔵 pic.twitter.com/hbohyvcdtH
— Everton (@Everton) July 14, 2023
“This is really just about getting them in game mode, there was no build up to this, no shape, no set pieces, it was literally about getting minutes in their legs – when it feels real again.”
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
