Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has urged fans to stop attacking his colleague Alex Iwobi on social media.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday night, Musa said the team lost the final match against hosts Ivory Coast on Sunday, noting that it is unfair to single out Iwobi for attacks.
“Dear fans, I want to please urge you to halt the cyber-bullying directed towards Alex Iwobi,” Musa wrote. “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.
“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.”
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.
Iwobi had deleted photos from his Instagram page following Nigeria’s loss to Ivory Coast in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Nigerian side were defeated 2-1 by the hosts, ending the team’s dreams of a fourth continental crown.
Hours after the encounter, Iwobi who has been a subject of stiff criticism from fans, deleted photos from his Instagram handle for fear of cyber abuse.
He only left one video post. The Fulham man also locked the comment section of the post for fear of bullying.
Iwobi featured for 79 minutes in Nigeria’s defeat to Ivory Coast and was replaced by Alhassan Yusuf.
Before the recent development, a similar one took place in the aftermath of the Super Eagles ouster from the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon. Iwobi and teammate Maduka Okoye were also heavily criticised after the team lost to Tunisia in a round of 16 tie, prompting them to disable comments on their social media handles.