Alex Iwobi: Nigerian Minister Gives Fulham Star Moral Support After Social Media Trolling, Video

Alex Iwobi: Nigerian Minister Gives Fulham Star Moral Support After Social Media Trolling, Video

Raphael Abiola
updated at February 13, 2024 at 9:21 AM
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A. Iwobi
Fulham logoFNigeria logo
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  • Alex Iwobi receives moral support from Nigerian minister after social media trolling
  • The Fulham star was blamed for Nigeria's loss in the AFCON 2023 final by some fans
  • The midfielder was forced to delete all his pictures on social media due to the attack

Nigeria's Youth and Sports Development Minister, Senator John Owan Enoh, has given Alex Iwobi moral support following the horrible social media attacks he suffered after the conclusion of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria were tipped as favourites to win the AFCON 2023 final due to their performance in the knockout stages and had previously defeated the Elephants in the tournament's group stage.

The Super Eagles eventually finished second after losing 2-1 to Ivory Coast in the final, with goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastian Haller cancelling out William Troost-Ekong's lead for Jose Peseiro's side.

Alex Iwobi kicks the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 final football match between Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Photo: Issouf Sanogo.
Alex Iwobi kicks the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 final football match between Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Photo: Issouf Sanogo.
Source: Getty Images

The Super Eagles' loss in the final hit the Nigerian fans on the wrong side, and they took to social media to share their grievances. In contrast, some took it to the extreme by trolling and bullying Nigerian midfielder Alex Iwobi.

According to a report by Soccernet, the former Arsenal star had to delete all his pictures on Instagram after some fans attacked and blamed him for Nigeria's loss.

In a video shared on social media by popular journalist Osasu Obayiuwana, Iwobi was spotted sitting alongside Senator Enoh, with the Nigerian minister encouraging him and acknowledging that he was proud of him despite the loss to Ivory Coast.

The Nigerian minister's affection for the Fulham star stirred different reactions from fans on X (formerly known as Twitter).

@Frankeelodeo said:

"Owan Eno is a mature man and a father. He always listens to you and shows empathy."

@yoboydonchichi said:

"I am 'over proud' of Alex Iwobi. As far as I am concerned, he did well at the 2023 AFCON."

@seunbass said:

"Yes oo. The haters and trollers are in the inconsequential minorities. God bless you @alexiwobi"

@KufreArchibong5 said:

"What have they done for Nigeria before, they think it's easy to rep the whole nation."

@buzuzu7 said:

"The only way to ensure this never repeats is to enforce necessary deterrence. Yhemolee and Tunde Ednut need to be sanctioned for mobilizing the assault on Alex Iwobi. Enough of the words, action is needed."

Okocha sends message to Iwobi after backlash

Sports Brief earlier reported that Nigerian legendary midfielder Augustine Jay-Jay Okocha has sent a message to his nephew Iwobi following the online bullying the player has suffered from Nigerian supporters.

After the whole issue, Okocha sent his best wishes to the former Arsenal star on his social media page.

Authors
Raphael Abiola photo
Raphael Abiola
Raphael Abiola is a Nigerian Sports Journalist with over five years of experience. He obtained a B.Tech degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2015.