Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has spoken out against the cyber-bullying of his teammate Alex Iwobi, who was blamed by some fans for Nigeria’s defeat to Ivory Coast in the AFCON final. Musa urged the fans to show love and support to the players, who gave their best on the field.
The final whistle blew, and the dream was over. Nigeria had lost 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast in the AFCON final, missing out on their fourth continental crown. As the players walked off the pitch, some with tears in their eyes, they were met with a barrage of abuse online from angry and disappointed fans.
One of the main targets of the cyber-bullying was midfielder Alex Iwobi, who had a quiet game and was substituted in the 79th minute. The Fulham man was accused of being lazy, selfish, and incompetent by some of the fans, who vented their frustration on his social media accounts.
Iwobi, who had been a key player for the Super Eagles throughout the tournament, was so hurt by the attacks that he deleted all his photos and videos from his Instagram account, leaving only one post with the comments disabled.
But not everyone was against Iwobi. His captain and friend, Ahmed Musa, came to his defense and pleaded with the fans to stop the cyber-bullying.
Musa, who had scored Nigeria’s only goal in the final, took to his X account (formerly Twitter) to write a heartfelt message of solidarity and support for his teammate.
“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.”
