Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi, has deleted all his pictures from his official Instagram account, leaving behind only one promotional video.
The 27-year-old Fulham player has been facing harsh criticism and abuse from some fans on social media, following his performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.
Iwobi played for 79 minutes in the final match against Ivory Coast on Sunday, which Nigeria lost 2-1. He was replaced by Alhassan Yusuf in the last 10 minutes of the game. Many fans blamed Iwobi for Nigeria’s defeat and expressed their disappointment and anger on various platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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A check on Iwobi’s Instagram account, which has 1.3 million followers, revealed that he has removed all his pictures, except for a video he posted 10 weeks ago.
He also locked the comment section of the video, presumably to prevent further bullying.
This is not the first time Iwobi has been subjected to online abuse. In 2022, after Nigeria crashed out of the Nations Cup in the second round, he and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye were also targeted by some fans. Okoye later took a break from the national team to focus on his mental health.
Iwobi made his debut for the Super Eagles in 2015 and has scored 10 goals in 74 appearances. He has represented Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019, 2021, and 2023 AFCON tournaments.