Nigeria’s Super Eagles captain has taken a firm stance against the surge of online harassment aimed at midfielder Alex Iwobi.
Following Nigeria’s 1-2 defeat to Ivory Coast in Sunday’s Afcon final, certain football enthusiasts resorted to social media trolling, unfairly targeting the 27-year-old player for the loss.
During the match, Iwobi contributed for 79 minutes before being substituted by Alhassan Yusuf. However, the online backlash prompted him to delete his Instagram photos on Monday.
In response to the cyberbullying, Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa and other Nigerians rallied behind Iwobi, condemning the targeted attacks and emphasizing that blaming him alone for the team’s loss is unjust.
Dear fans, I want to please urge you to halt the cyber-bullying directed towards Alex Iwobi. Cyber bullying is not just a violation of decency but also a serious crime. It's hypocritical to claim that football unites us while engaging in such behavior.
— Ahmed Musa OON (@Ahmedmusa718) February 12, 2024
Losing a game is… pic.twitter.com/prxydU5Jfb
In a statement shared on X, Musa implored fans to halt the online harassment directed at Iwobi. “Losing a game is undeniably tough, but singling out a single player for the team’s shortcomings is unfair and unjust. We win and lose together as a team. Alex gave his all on the field, just like every member of our squad” Musa underscored.
