'I feel sad for him' - Ex-Super Eagles star slams racist abuse of Tolu Arokodare after penalty miss

Former Nigerian international Emmanuel Okoduwa has condemned the racist abuse directed at Tolu Arokodare after Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 1-0 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace.

Arokodare received a wave of hateful online messages after missing a first-half penalty during Sunday’s match.

Speaking to Footy Africa, Okoduwa expressed disappointment at the persistence of online racism in football.

He said, “This one hurts me because Wolves fans are not known for things like this, and it is unfortunate.

“Tolu should not be targeted because he lost a penalty. He is doing his best for the team despite the situation they are in at the moment. Nobody is happy. Don’t forget, my son also plays for Wolves, so we are all in this together. No one should be targeted because he missed a penalty.”

Okoduwa also referenced incidents involving Vinícius Júnior, stressing that the football community must take stronger action against discrimination.

He added, “Racism has no place in football. After what happened to Vinícius Júnior last week, we ought to do better. Shame to those who said those ugly things about him.

“We should do better as a community and as a football family to make everyone feel at ease. I feel sad for him, but the fans who do this type of ugly stuff must do better.”