'Completely unfair' - Fulham boss confirms Iwobi is in good mental state after online abuse from Nigeria fans 

Fulham manager Marco Silva has confirmed that Alex Iwobi is in good mental condition following the backlash he received after participating in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria.

The 27-year-old missed the opportunity to win his first international trophy as the Super Eagles lost to Ivory Coast in the final of the tournament.

In the aftermath of the defeat to the Elephants, Iwobi suffered a lot of online abuse from Super Eagles fans who were angry at the result, and the winger reacted by deleting all his Instagram posts.

Iwobi has been scapegoated by Nigerians but has had the backing of his teammates and it has also been reported that he won't quit the national team despite the backlash.

He hasn't featured for the Cottagers since the start of 2024 due to his international commitment and his return will be a huge boost for the London-based club.

Asked about the mental state of Alex Iwobi and if he's had a chat with Iwobi in the lead-up to the Premier League meeting with Aston Villa, Silva told reporters at Friday's pre-match press conference: "Mentally, he's very good. Alex is a happy boy when he's on the pitch doing what he loves, he's always doing it with a smile on his face. I know part, I don't know everything what people said about it. 

"I don't see reasons because if you lose a game you lose a game together, if you win a game you win together of course. They did brilliantly until the final.

"They lost the final and the people reacted they think that is the best. In my opinion it was completely unfair because of the way they criticized him on social media. It's more strange when there is no reason to do it.

"Since he arrived here, of course I had a chat with him. He's going to be involved in the game tomorrow, him and Calvin Bassey." 

Iwobi has made 19 appearances across all competitions for the Cottagers and has five goal involvements to his credit.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

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