Super Eagles forward Tolu Arokodare was subjected to racial abuse after missing a first-half penalty in his side’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League.
Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson guessed correctly to deny Arokodare from the spot, much to the delight of home supporters at Selhurst Park. The hosts went on to secure all three points, a result that did not go down well with a section of Wolverhampton Wanderers fans.
After the game, the forward revealed he had received racist messages online.
“It’s still unbelievable to me that we’re playing in a time where people have so much freedom to communicate such racism without any consequences,” he posted on social media.
“These individuals should have no place in our game and collectively we have to take action to punish everyone who taints the sport like this, no matter who they are.”
Former Nigeria forward Emmanuel Okoduwa, who faced racial discrimination during his playing career in Ukraine and now lives in England, exclusively told Footy-Africa he was disappointed to hear of the abuse directed at his compatriot.
“This one hurts me because Wolves fans are not known for things like this and it is unfortunate,” he said. “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.”
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“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.”
In what has been a disappointing season for Wolves, Arokodare has scored six goals in 33 appearances across all competitions.
