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Sports minister kicks against cyberbullying of Iwobi, others

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By Francesca Hangeior

The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan Enoh, has strongly condemned the cyberbullying of Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi at the end of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

Recall that the Fulham FC of England star has been subjected to trolling on social media, with some fans blaming him for Nigeria’s defeat to Cote d’Ivoire in Sunday’s AFCON final.

The minister described such acts as uncalled for and assured the player of the support of Nigerians.

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Enoh, who accompanied the silver-winning Super Eagles team back to Abuja from Abidjan in the early hours of Tuesday, met privately with Iwobi to encourage and pep him up.

“I am aware of what is happening on social media, and as a ministry, this isn’t the first time we are going to make a statement against bullying, not just you but our sportsmen and women in general who are exposed to bullying due to the outcome of competitions.

“We are concerned about how our sportsmen and women are treated.

“You did your best for your country, and I am proud of you. The leadership and the rest of the country is proud of you. Those who are not are in the far minority and do not speak for the rest of our country, so just be strong.

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“You are part of a team that brought home a silver medal, which the country last won at AFCON 2000, which was 23 years ago. You put in your best; thank you very much,” the minister said.

Iwobi, in his brief response, said he had gone off social media after the AFCON final and was focused on trudging on.

“For me, I have taken myself out of social media after yesterday’s game,” Iwobi said.

He said he had deleted all pictures on his Instagram page and locked the comment section of the post, following trolling after the AFCON finals.

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“Dear fans, I want to please urge you to halt the cyberbullying directed at 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,” Musa said. (NAN)

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Borussia Dortmund sack struggling coach Nuri Sahin

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By Francesca Hangeior

Borussia Dortmund have fired struggling head coach Nuri Sahin after Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League loss at Bologna, saying on Wednesday they had “lost faith” in the young manager.

Finalists in the competition last season, Tuesday’s Champions League loss was the fourth in a row for Dortmund in all competitions.

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Mikel Obi arrives in Galatasaray to hold talks with Osimhen amid Nicolas Jackson’s goal drought

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Former Chelsea defensive midfielder Mikel Obi arrived in Istanbul on Monday, January 20, for showdown talks with Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen’s future remains uncertain, but the striker has disclosed that he would love to end his season-long loan deal with Galatasaray.

An exit clause exists in his deal with the Turkish club, but the striker recently rejected a move to English Premier League club Manchester United.

Turkish journalist Kagan Dursun has disclosed that the Red Devils recently offered £59 million to bring the Nigerian striker to Old Trafford.

According to him, Napoli officials travelled to Istanbul recently to secure Osimhen’s commitment to the club, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Mikel wants Osimhen at Chelsea

Meanwhile, Mikel Obi has not hidden his love for Victor Osimhen to move to join Stamford Bridge outfit Chelsea.

The club legend has been a vocal critic of striker Nicolas Jackson, who has not been convincing in front of goal.

Last summer, Osimhen was on the verge of joining Chelsea, but negotiations collapsed in the final hours of the transfer window.

According to Football Italia, Mikel stated that he would try to convince the 26-year-old, adding that disclosing that Didier Drogba is also doing his best to ensure the deal is sorted.

He said: “I hope that Chelsea fans will finally see him come to the club. I’ll make sure I send him those text messages and calls, making sure Chelsea is his top priority.

“Didier is also speaking to him, sharing his ideas and what the club means to us. We all want to see Victor come to the club. If it happens, it happens. It’s a huge transfer fee, but if we can match it and get him to the club that would be fantastic.”

Mikel arrives in Galatasaray training

Mikel was spotted at Galatasaray’s Florya Metin Oktay training facility, where he met with his compatriot, Victor Osimhen.

The Chelsea legend, who played for the Turkish club Trabzonspor, met the former vice president of Giresunspot Muzaffer Aygun and the owner of Titanic Hotels.

Reports suggest that he would use the opportunity to speak with Osimhen over a possible transfer to Chelsea.

Source: www.legit.ng

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Victor Boniface ends relationship with Norwegian girlfriend, Rikke

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Nigerian international Victor Boniface has reportedly ended relationship with Norwegian girlfriend, Rikke Hermine Jensen.

The Bayer Leverkusen striker ended his four-year relationship with the Norwegian influencer as reports indicate that the pair has unfollowed each other on social media.

Their last public appearance was in May last year during Bayer Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga title celebrations, where they were seen together.

A source told Tribuna that the relationship has not been working for some time now, and Jensen has stopped attending Bayer Leverkusen games this season.

Yes, they were apart for Christmas, and he seemed to have a lot of fun without her. She also stopped attending his games this season. Now, they are officially done,” the source confirmed.

Boniface came down to Nigeria for Christmas and his birthday celebration last month without his partner.

Boniface and Jensen reportedly met in Norway four years ago and started dating after that.

The Bayer Leverkusen star kept their relationship private, as he barely shared details of his love life with the public.

Source: www.mynigeria.com

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