In the aftermath of Nigeria’s 1-2 loss to Ivory Coast in the Afcon final on Sunday, the captain of the Super Eagles football team has taken a stand against the online harassment directed at midfielder Alex Iwobi.

Following the defeat, some football fans turned to social media to troll the 27-year-old player, placing blame on him for the loss. Iwobi, who played for 79 minutes before being substituted by Alhassan Yusuf, faced such backlash online that he removed his Instagram photos on Monday.

Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa and other Nigerians have rallied to defend Iwobi, condemning the targeted attacks and emphasizing the unfairness of singling him out for the team’s loss.

In a statement posted on X, Musa urged fans to stop the online harassment directed at Iwobi, stating, “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,” Musa emphasized.