There is a new name climbing the history books of English football, and it belongs to a Super Eagles star.

According to reports in The Nation and Daily Trust, Alex Iwobi has drawn level with Mohamed Salah as the African player with the second-most appearances in the English Premier League. The Fulham midfielder reached 328 league matches on Saturday, during his team's 1-0 win away at Coventry City.

It is the kind of milestone that does not happen by accident. To play that many games in one of the toughest leagues in the world takes fitness, consistency, and the trust of every manager you play under. Iwobi has now earned all three, season after season.

The Nigeria Football Federation was quick to celebrate him. As reported by The Nation, the federation's Acting General Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, praised the 30-year-old in a post on X and said the hope now is that Iwobi goes on to become the African with the most Premier League appearances ever.

That final step is still some distance away. Only one man stands ahead of Iwobi and Salah on the all-time African list: former Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure, who finished his career on 353 appearances. Iwobi needs 25 more matches to pass him.

It is a realistic target. At his current rhythm, and if he stays free of serious injury, Iwobi could reach it before the end of this season. And when he does, he will stand alone at the top of a list that includes some of the greatest African players ever to play in England.

Saturday's performance showed why he is still so important to his club. Match reports recorded that in 73 minutes on the pitch, Iwobi recorded 60 touches, completed 51 passes, and finished with a passing accuracy of 86.3 per cent. Those are the numbers of a player his team builds its midfield around.

His journey to this point started long before Fulham. Iwobi came through the youth ranks in London, broke into top-flight football as a teenager, and has rebuilt his game more than once along the way. Each move made him more complete — from a winger with pace and tricks to a midfielder who controls the tempo of a match.

For Nigeria, the milestone carries extra meaning. As Daily Trust reported, Iwobi earned his 100th cap for the Super Eagles in a friendly against Portugal this summer, and he has won one silver and two bronze medals with the national team at the Africa Cup of Nations. He is now one of the most experienced players in the squad, and younger players look up to him.

The question now is not whether Iwobi belongs among Africa's Premier League greats. That argument is settled. The question is whether he can go one step further and take a record that has stood for years.

If he stays fit, the countdown is on: 25 matches to history.

Do you think Iwobi will pass Kolo Toure's record this season? Drop your prediction in the comments.

Sources: The Nation, Daily Trust, Naija News, Megastar Magazine.