Alex Iwobi forced to delete Instagram posts after abuse from Nigerians following AFCON final defeat

Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi was forced to delete all posts on his Instagram page following abuse from some Nigerians after the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final played on Sunday, February 11, 2024.

The Fulham midfielder became the subject of cyberbullying with snide remarks about him and his uncle, Austin Jay Jay Okocha.

Owing to the severity of the abuse, Alex Iwobi was compelled to pull down all his posts, drawing diverse reactions from Nigerians online.

Iwobi was a key member of the Nigerian team that made it to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations which was held in Ivory Coast.

The former Arsenal midfielder was one of the tournament’s standout players as he helped his country enjoy their best finish in the AFCON since 2013.

His efforts in the final were however not enough as the Eagles were unable to fly over the Elephants of Ivory Coast.

A thumping header from the tournament’s best player, William Troost-Ekong gave Nigeria a lead but the host nation fought back with two second-half goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastian Haller.

Kessie got the equalizer via a powerful connection to Simon Adingra’s cross before Borussia Dortmund striker, Sebastian Haller flicked home another Adingra cross to clinch the trophy for the Ivorians.

Meanwhile, the skipper of the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa has hit out at the Nigerians bullying Iwobi, urging them to stop.

“Dear fans, I want to please urge you to halt the cyber-bullying directed towards 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 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,” excerpts of his post on social media read.

EK