SUPER Eagles of Nigeria captain Ahmed Musa and several of his teammates have rallied round Alex Iwobi after the midfielder became the target of hate posts online over his AFCON 2023 Africa Cup of Nations performances.
Although Iwobi had a decent tournament like most of his Super Eagles colleagues as they reached the final before losing for the first time to hosts Cote d’Ivoire, the Fulham star was somehow singled out for abuse on social media.
The cyberbullying got worse after the final, which Nigeria lost 2-1 to the hosts on Sunday, and Iwobi was forced to delete all but one of his pictures on Instagram after he was mocked for displaying non-football photographs of himself having a good time.
Musa, who the players look up to as their leader, leapt to the defence of Iwobi yesterday, issuing a statement on social media that directly appealed to the online bullies.
“Dear fans, I want to please urge you to halt the cyberbullying directed towards Alex Iwobi. Cyberbullying is not just a violation of decency but also a serious crime,” the Sivasspor forward noted.
“It’s hypocritical to claim that football unites us while engaging in such behavior.
“Losing a game is undoubtedly tough, but targeting a single player for the team’s shortcomings is unfair and unjust. We win as a team, and we lose as a team. Alex gave his all on the field, just like every member of our squad.
“Instead of spreading negativity, let’s show genuine love and support to our players. They need our encouragement now more than ever. Let’s uplift each other and stand united, both in victory and defeat. THANKS.”
Several other Super Eagles stars also showed their support for Iwobi with posts on social media, with Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Joe Aribo, William Troost-Ekong and Terem Moffi all sharing photographs of themselves with the Fulham midfielder on Instagram.
“Ayobi, my broski, I’m always with you”, wrote Chukwueze, while Osimhen, Moffi, Aribo and Troost-Ekong had the same message: “We win together. We lose together. We’re all one. Some of our fans should do better.”
There have even been speculations that Iwobi and other players could retire early from the Super Eagles due to the abuse from online bullies.
Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has taken a break from the Super Eagles after incessant online abuse, while Francis Uzoho has also not been spared.
