Social media influencer Daniel Regha has called for an end to the bullying of Super Eagles player Alex Iwobi following criticism of his performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
Iwobi, who plays for Fulham, faced backlash after Nigeria’s 2-1 defeat to Cote d’Ivoire. He subsequently deleted all his Instagram posts related to the AFCON final. Despite playing for 79 minutes, he was replaced by Alhassan Yusuf for the final 10 minutes of the game.
Regha took to Twitter to express his concerns, stating “2023 AFCON has ended; move on already. Stop bullying Alex Iwobi or anyone on the Super Eagles team; for crying out loud, it’s just a match and trophy. This toxic behavior is why some players choose not to represent Nigeria in tournaments. We complain of oppression but often aim to drive people into depression once things don’t go our way. Stop!”
The incident highlights the impact of social media criticism on athletes and draws attention to the broader issue of online bullying in sports.
