Super Eagles player Alex Iwobi and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye have come under fire over the team’s exit from the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.
The team lost 1-0 to Tunisia on Sunday, January 23 at the Round of 16.
Iwobi was sent off following a heavy challenge on a Tunisian opponent. The 25-year-old was shown a red card after a VAR check upgraded the yellow card he was earlier given for the tackle.
Nigeria struggled to get back into the game after the incident.
Iwobi has since deactivated his Instagram account while Okoye has disabled comments on his posts.
Some Twitter users have even involved Iwobi’s relative Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, a Super Eagles’ legend, in the banter.
@rhemy_official wrote, “Energy wey Okocha suppose take train Iwobi, Baba dey use am do ‘Iyam not an Actor.’”
@Dhavidote tweeted, “If not that Iwobi is Okocha’s cousin, that guy suppose dey follow their Nasty Blaq do skits.”
@oil_shaeikh wrote, “Sadik Umar was the best player on that Pitch tonight, Maduka Okoye was our weakest link, Iheanacho, chukwueze played nonsense, Simon Moses wasn’t exceptional, make Iwobi no even near our National team again, enough of the Okocha nephew nonsense!!!”
Okoye, who had become popular over his looks, was blamed for poor positioning in the lead-up to the goal.
The 22-year-old, born in Düsseldorf, Germany to a Nigerian father and a German mother, had caused a stir on Twitter on January 12 when he posted a photo of himself with the caption “Onto the next one.”
The post went viral with tens of thousands of likes, retweets and comments.
But his critics now say Francis Uzoho should have been considered ahead of him.
@sirperfect_ tweeted, “Maduka that conceded 4 goals on his club debut. Maduka that went on to concede 46 goals in 18 games. Maduka that is chopping bench while on loan a relegation-threatened club. Maduka is Nigeria’s number 1. Uzoho and Akpeyi were robbed.”
