Former Gombe United Football Club Chairman, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, has described cyber attackers of Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi, as senseless and lacking in credible sports background.
Recall that days after the end of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Super Eagles midfielder suffered cyberattack from which caused the Fulham FC player to exit the social media.
Gombe however expressed his concern by stating his personal position on the issue.
“My position on the cyber-bullying of Super Eagles player Alex Iwobi by fans is that it was very bad.
“This singular development had generated reactions from different quarters including the sports minister.
“I have also noticed reactions from some stakeholders, a few of them, respected stakeholders to Iwobi’s cyber-bulling experience.
“For me, those reactions are none issue, even Iwobi acted childishly. I demand to know if Iwobi is the first Super Eagles player to be cyber-bullied by fans in Nigeria.
“In my opinion, Iwobi should have ignored it and move on. However, those who attacked Iwobi are unfortunately very uncultured, useless people devoid of any sports anticedence or background.
“Iwobi’s cyber-bullying experience is nothing to be compared to Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s or Sani Keita’s. Iwobi’s attack is not anywhere close to what Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Sani Keita received.
“Again, all the marauders insulting Iwobi are senseless; if they really love Nigeria, it’s not Iwobi they should vent their anger and frustrations against, it should be the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) which hired a coach who didn’t understand his players’ pattern of play,; not Iwobi.
“The NFF and Nigeria football league managers, the corruption and stealing going on there should be fans’ concern, and not innocent Iwobi.
“They have to interrogate Nigeria football managers under investigation for gross mismanagement of FIFA financial grants and others.
“Former NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, and Shehu Dikko were there; they have all gone with our money. These are people that should be attacked, not Iwobi.
“Ibrahim Gusau is yet to unveil his programme since becoming the NFF president. He is clearly a carbon copy of Amaju Pinnick and as far as I am concerned, Nigerian football has no direction, our football is clearly on autopilot.
“Football fans should also interogate the NFF officials than going for the heads of players.
“Super Eagles won silver at AFCON and no one dare ask if it was the coach or NFF’s programme that took Nigeria that far?
“We all know that it is the never- say- die- strong will and dogedness of the Super Eagles players that produced such feat and we saw it.
“Honestly, angry football fans should have a rethink, the moment a player fails to play well they attack him, every sportsman and woman usually have a bad day like weather.
“I remember Jay-Jay Okocha with his beautiful football for Nigeria was also booed, insulted out of the stadium by these senseless fans.
“Players that never get insulted were perhaps those who retired prematurely.
If we have a good system and programme that is accountable and transparent, who would be talking about Iwobi playing badly?
“By now, Iwobi’s replacement should have been known but because NFF doesn’t have any programme and therefore, are condemned to over-relying and depending on these players.
“The AFCON has come and gone, but how long will Nigeria continue to be relying on Victor Osimhen?
“If NFF has in place a programme and vibrant local league that can produce these players, many more Osimhens and Nwabalis would be discovered.
“Goalkeeper Nwabali became a revelation after he played at AFCON through the South African League. Why did his talent escape Coach Jose Pasiero while he was playing in Nigeria?
That is another food for thought for NFF and senseless fans,” Gara Gombe concluded.
