Nigeria captain Ahmed Musa has jumped to the defence of a teammate who has become a target for abuse on social media after the side's 2023 Africa Cup of Nations heartbreak.
Fulham star Alex Iwobi has been the target of considerable social media backlash following the Super Eagles' 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast in the tournament final, and is said to have deleted all of his Instagram posts as a result of being cyber-bullied.
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Fans have gone on to social media platforms including X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram to criticise the midfielder.
Some have, however, also showed concern for the Super Eagles star amid the online abuse, including his national captain Musa. The 31-year-old took to X and called for an end to the "unjust" targeting of a single player after the team's defeat.
"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," Musa wrote.
"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."
Iwobi played for 79 minutes of the Super Eagles' defeat to the Elephants, before being replaced by Alhassan Yusuf.
Nigeria will now look towards trying to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with qualifiers therefor set to resume in June, while simultaneously eyeing a spot at AFCON 2025.
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Iwobi, meanwhile, will now return to Premier League side Fulham, who are currently in 12th place on the table.
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