Nigerian football star and Super Eagles player, Ahmed Musa, has cautioned football supporters against bullying the national team’s midfielder Alex Iwobi over AFCON defeat on Sunday.
News Central reports that angry Nigerians lashed out at Iwobi on social media, after Ivory Coast beat the Super Eagles 2–1 in the Africa Cup of Nations finals on February 11.
Iwobi was accused of performing poorly on the pitch, and consequently causing Nigeria to lose the tournament trophy.
Some disgruntled fans stormed the footballer’s social media handles to rain abuse on him for playing what they tagged “nonsense” during the finals.
Reacting to the hurtful comments that kept pouring in with each tick of the clock, Iwobi quietly deleted all his Instagram posts.
This action raised concerns from well-meaning individuals about the player’s mental health well-being, given the back-to-back backlash during and after the match.
Meanwhile, reports are circulating that Iwobi is toying with the idea of retiring from the national team following the heavy backlash.
The Fulham player has not made any official statement to this effect.
Alarmed by the worrisome development, Musa, forward and left winger who also plays for the Turkish Super Lig club Sivasspor pleaded with football fans to desist from bullying Iwobi over the AFCON loss.
Musa wrote on his X handle on Monday evening, urging fans to put an end to the cyber-bullying which is “not just a violation of decency but also a serious crime.”
His words:
“Dear fans, I want to please urge you to halt the cyber-bullying directed towards Alex Iwobi. Cyberbullying 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.
“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.”