“If what happened to Iwobi happened to me, I’m going to break down” — Stanley Nwabali, Super Eagles Goalie

Stanley Nwabali, the Super Eagles goalkeeper, has spoken out about the recent cyberbullying of his teammate, Alex Iwobi, during and after the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Cote d’Ivoire.

The Super Eagles goalkeeper, who received widespread plaudits during the recently finished competition, decried the actions of football supporters.

In an interview with Channels TV, the Chippa United goalie revealed that if he were a victim of cyberbullying like Iwobi, he would break down.

Nwabali said: “It is not really nice, to be honest. I know the country we find ourselves in. Everyone is desperate to win. Everyone needs this cup. Even when we are playing against the biggest team in the world, we want to win.

“When you talk about Alex, to be honest, sometimes, I feel emotional during the time of Maduka, Francis Uzoho, I look at Francis and tell him, bro; you’re a man, it’s not easy, a lot of players always break down, to be really honest, if it happens to me, I am going to break down.”

Nigeria had played the host Cote d’Ivoire at the final of the 2023 AFCON, but the Super Eagles were defeated 1-2.

Many Nigerian football fans took to social media to single out Iwobi for poor performance in the team, a development that led the midfielder to delete pictures and videos on his social media page.