Introduction
If you are scouting for the latest news of football, Sports prediction by Tipsta can be your best source. Here, you will get information on the new addition to the footballing world and the changes in European and African football values.
The supporters of the Ivory Coast football team cherish their generation’s golden time.
Why?
Well, why not? They won the AFCON title for the 3rd time this year on 11 February. As a cheer for the victory, the city celebrated its winners on 12 February 2024.
But right now, the Africa Cup of Nations is facing a major setback with its reputation and safety!
Now, when the focus should shift to the next tournament in Morocco, we have plenty to focus on and also get disappointed!
The safety of the Nigerian players is in question.
In the aftermath of Ivory Coast’s victory over Nigeria in the final of AFCON (2023), Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi faced severe online ravages by the Super Eagles fans. Well, the lackluster performance of the well-known midfielder resulted in a worse manner.
Notably, the throughput performance of the midfielder was impressive until it started to drop in the later halves of the tournament. He was also one of the main Nigerian players who represented all the games in the tournament.
However, Nigerian fans didn’t take it finely, and a barrage of hate speech on his social media accounts was a response.
Iwobi Forced to Delete Social Media Posts
Being scapegoated by social media trolls for years, Iwobi was forced this time to archive all his social media posts on Instagram.
Well, a similar target was possessed in 2021 during the same tournament going on against Tunisia. At that time, he was a notable instrument to send off the defect. This continuous bullying might have impacted his mindset to take this approach of archiving his posts!
Online criticism is common these days, but cyberbullying is one step ahead!
Considerably, the virtual trolling affected the player emotionally in all senses! To distance himself from social media might arouse the question of the safety of the players.
The detrimental impact of cyberbullying is not a common concern, and the Minister of Sports Development, Owan Enoh, accepted that. He also offered support to Iwobi as he needs mental support while focusing on his well-being.
However, reports also suggest that Iwobi is set to retire from international football. So, the condition or situation was not in favor of football, but it is a social issue of concern.
Think of it! A player is getting retired just because some fans bullied him?
Is it that easy?
Well, not at all!
No one considers ending his career from international placement just because of some random bullies.
Nigerian Players Are with Iwobi
However, the only good news in this scenario is that Nigerian players are working as a support group for the individual. They all stood against the toxic culture of online abuse. From Captain Musa to Victor Osimhen, everyone condemns the cyber-attack against Iwobi.
They urged fans to stop cyberbullying and respect the unity of the national team!
Oshoala also took a stand against cyberbullying and the disparaging comments directed against Iwobi.
Additionally, in a statement, Captain Ahmed Musa said that he wants to make fans stop cyber-bullying against Iwobi. Cyberbullying is a violation of decency and a serious crime.
Moreover, the Bundesliga star Victor Boniface (playing for Bayer Leverkusen) and Napoli’s leading frontier, Victor Osimhen, feel bad for Iwobi while expressing their thoughts on a particular team-
“We win together, we lose together, we all are one. Some of our fans must do better.”
Apart from that, other notable players like Samuel Chukwueze, Stanley Nwabali, and Joseph Aribo all expressed their support for Iwobi.
Considerably, Jay Jay Okocha, the former Super Eagles star, responded with the same approach. The gist of what all the players want to say is that a team is a team and plays as a team. Responsibility for a defeat or win is not on one person. No matter what, players will need to play in all conditions whatsoever.
An Unlikely Scenario with Alex Iwobi’s Retirement
As said by Jay Jay, a player needs to go through all conditions, including online bullying; the retirement of Alex Iwobi has taken a U-turn. While there is widespread speculation, with various reports suggesting that Iwobi might take permanent retirement from national football, the recent report suggests otherwise.
A person closer to Iwobi asserted that he is unaffected by the online trolls and will continue to play for the national team. We all know that the challenges of playing in a national team are not just limited to the field, but you also need to handle off-the-field conditions.
It seems like the mental strength and resilience needed is already in Iwobi, and he just took a step back from all these! If it is the condition, then it’s good news for the national team, as everyone wants to have a consistent player on the team.
However, the Super Eagles team, alongside the sports minister, showed an unwavering support for Alex!
Sports Minister Supports Iwobi
The unwanted record of losses for Nigeria in the final took place for the 5th time in AFCON!
But that does not justify the cyberbullying of Iwobi, as expressed by Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh. He thinks Iwobi needs to keep his head up and concentrate on his upcoming games.
He stated that he knows what is happening on social media and that this is not the first time an athlete has faced this issue. The outcome of a competition cannot fully judge the determination and dedication of a player. Those who do not speak for the rest of the country and do not count as the far minority should not be considered.
It was a strong message from the minister to help Iwobi fight back!
However, the upcoming days will speak for all the sports enthusiasts, and the values will be nurtured.
But bullying is not uncommon in the football world. In fact, the greatest players of all time also faced the bad side of fans. Perhaps we can deal with it in different ways so that the ethics and values of a player stay tuned while we enjoy watching football.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
