In the wake of cyberbullying directed at Nigerian midfielder Alex Iwobi following Nigeria’s loss to Cote D’Ivoire in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, legendary footballer JayJay Okocha has stepped forward to defend his nephew, News About Nigeria reports.
Okocha took to his Instagram page on Tuesday to address the issue and express his support for Iwobi.
In a heartfelt message, Okocha urged people to treat others with kindness and positivity.
He wrote, “I pray for my country Nigeria and the people that can only hate and see nothing good in others. When effort counts for nothing, treat people the way you want them to treat you, all we have in this life is each other.”
Expressing love and support for Alex Iwobi, Okocha said that it is important to maintain of resilience in the face of criticism.
“We love you #alexanderiwobi, and we keep going no matter what they say. The Lord is good all the time, and we trust that His will be done in our lives. Amen.”
Meanwhile, Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa, took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday to plead with fans to cease cyber attacks against Iwobi.
Speaking on the consequences of cyberbullying in his post, Ahmed Musa said that it goes beyond violating decency and is a serious crime.
He called out the hypocrisy of claiming that football unites people while engaging in such negative behavior.
Musa mentioned that in football, the team succeeds or fails together.
He defended Iwobi, stating that he, like every member of the squad, gave his best on the field.
