Former Nigeria international Godwin Okpara in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa has condemned the racial abuse directed at Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Tolu Arokodare following Saturday’s Premier League defeat by Crystal Palace.
Arokodare missed a first-half penalty as Wolves were beaten 1-0 at Selhurst Park, a result that compounded their relegation worries.
The 23-year-old Nigerian striker was subsequently subjected to abusive messages on social media, prompting a strong response from Okpara, the former Paris St-Germain defender.
“It’s sad that this is still happening in 2026, and I believe action has to be taken against those responsible,” Okpara told Footy-Africa. “Football is a unifying sport and racism or any form of discrimination should never be allowed in the game.”
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“Some fans need to be completely banned from stadiums. FIFA and other football governing bodies must take strong and decisive action. Any form of racism or discrimination is totally unacceptable in football.”
Arokodare has struggled for consistency since his £16m move from Belgian side Genk to Molineux, with supporters expressing frustration over his lack of goals.
However, Okpara urged patience.
“Fans can be impatient, but in football you don’t always get immediate results,” he said. “A player may need time to adapt to the system. This is his first season in England and the team was not in good shape before his arrival.”
“He did not have a preseason with them, which could be one of the reasons he is struggling. They need to give him time — perhaps wait until next season and see what happens. After that, they can start discussing whether to move him elsewhere. He could even go to another league and start scoring goals, so how would they explain that?”
Okoduwa backs Tolu Arokodare after online racial abuse following penalty miss
Wolves and Premier League have have publicly backed the player after the online abuse and Okpara has called for hefty sanctions.
