Duo played together in Arsenal academy and have remained good friends

Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi can light up the World Cup with Nigeria, according to someone who knows the 22-year-old very well.

Dagenham & Redbridge winger Fejiri Okenabirhie played with Iwobi when the pair were together in the Gunners academy and the duo remain good friends.

The Arsenal attacker is one of a number of promising youngsters looking to lead the Super Eagles to a successful World Cup campaign, along with fellow Premier League stars Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho, who both play for Leicester City.

Okenabirhie also trained alongside the Foxes duo as part of a Nigeria under-17 training camp a few years back.

Both Ndidi and Iheanacho, along with Iwobi, will hope to push their claims to start for the Super Eagles in Russia when they face England in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

And Okenabirhie believes that the Premier League trio could be the difference between Nigeria doing well or struggling this summer.

“To qualify for the World Cup is a great achievement already and we’ve got good young players coming through,” said the 22-year-old.

“Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho are probably the three biggest hopes.

“I’m looking forward to the World Cup and hopefully we can do well.”

Nigeria have been drawn in Group D for this summer’s World Cup, along with Argentina, Iceland and Croatia.

And though Okenabirhie notes that each game at a World Cup is difficult, he feels the Super Eagles have been handed a favourable draw.

“There’s never really an easy group in the World Cup, but I can’t see why we can’t get out of the group.

“We played Argentina in a friendly recently and beat them (Nigeria won 4-2 last November).

“At the World Cup, anything can happen and I’m confident in the team that it can do well.”