Super Eagles captain and Forward player, Ahmed Musa, has appealed to Nigerians and football fans in the country to stop cyberbullying his colleague and Fulham midfielder, Alex Iwobi over his performance at the final match of Africa Cup of Nations with the host country, Ivory Coast.
Ivory Coast on Sunday night defeated Nigeria’s Super Eagles 2-1 to win the 2023 AFCON cup.
Following the Super Eagles’ failure to win the cup, many Nigerians and Super Eagles fans have continued to decry the performance of the national team, especially Iwobi.
But Musa in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday urged angry Nigerians to stop cyberbullying Iwobi over his performance at the tournament.
Musa wrote, “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 behaviour.
“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.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Musa said that the Super Eagles might have failed to win the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) cup in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, but the players' unity on the field transcended religious and tribal differences.
He applauded Nigerian players for their performance in the match, saying hat despite the twists and turns of the game, the team stood strong, displaying resilience and determination that resonated with fans across the nation.
Following the cyberbullying of Iwobi, Super eagles players have been posting Iwobi's picture on their X and other social media pages to show solidarity with him.