Nigeria captain, Ahmed Musa, has made a heartfelt plea to Super Eagles fans to cease cyberbullying directed at his teammate, Alex Iwobi, following Nigeria’s loss to Cote D’Ivoire in the final of the just-concluded African Cup of Nations.
Musa, who took to his social media platform, urged fans to refrain from targeting the midfielder with negative comments.
In his statement, Musa emphasized that cyberbullying is not only a breach of decency but also a serious offense.
“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.
“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.”
Earlier reports revealed that Alex Iwobi faced severe criticism on social media following Nigeria’s defeat, prompting him to delete his Instagram photos.
Musa’s plea comes in the wake of this cyberbullying incident, aiming to foster a supportive environment for the team.
In the match against Ivory Coast, Iwobi played for 79 minutes before being substituted for Alhassan Yusuf.