The former Arsenal playmaker picked up the first AFCON silver medal of his career
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has deleted all his posts on social media platform Instagram just hours after Nigeria failed to lift the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.
Iwobi featured from the start as Nigeria fell 2-1 to Cameroon in the final of the competition inside the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan on Sunday.
Before the final, Nigeria had impressed in the tournament, staying unbeaten in six matches, winning five and drawing the other while keeping four clean sheets.
While William Troost-Ekong, Victor Osimhen, Frank Onyeka, and Ademola Lookman were outstanding for the Super Eagles, Iwobi had a more tempered display.
Usually a bustling attacking midfielder who looks to create and impact the game in and around the penalty box, Iwobi was deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in Jose Peseiro’s preferred 3-4-3 formation at the AFCON.
With his change in role and tactical responsibility, Iwobi had few chances to stamp his mark on any of Nigeria’s matches, recording no goal and no assist.
After Nigeria’s below-par performance against Cote d’Ivoire in the final, several fans on social media took up issues with Iwobi for his perceived underperformance. Some blamed him for Nigeria’s loss.
The harsh criticisms could be one of the reasons the Fulham defender decided to delete his post, leaving no room for anyone to drop a comment on any of his old posts.
Iwobi was also a member of the Nigerian squad that won a bronze medal at the 2019 AFCON.
