Nigerian supporters should be aware that cyberbullying can undermine a player’s confidence, according to Super Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo.
Omeruo made this statement in response to criticism directed towards several Super Eagles players on social media following Nigeria’s 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final.
He said in an interview with ARISE News that the results of the attacks might lead some of the players to resign from the national team.
Ola Aina was regarded by him as one of the tournament’s top players.
Many people will attack you because they are enraged for no apparent reason. Prior to this competition, we received criticism.
For instance, on Instagram, someone commented, “I hope you die,” to Ola Aina. They just write whatever comes to mind, with no regard for the repercussions. I have, for the most part, restrained myself from responding to several messages.
We simply need to develop thick skin and hopefully keep winning because when we win, people forget about everything else. If I respond in this way, one blog will pick it up and they will make a huge deal out of it.
“I was speaking to Ola and he made some comments that I won’t say here, but it will affect us if we lose a player like him simply because of some bullying from some insignificant fans,” he said.
Imagine Ola Aina was included in the Team of the Tournament and, in my opinion, was one of the greatest players in the competition.