Super Eagles and Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare has spoken out after being targeted with racist abuse on social media following his side’s 1-0 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, Footynaija reports.
Arokodare joined Wolves from Belgian club Genk last September as their marquee signing of the summer after winning the Belgian Pro League Golden Boot with 21 league goals.
He has two league goals to his name so far at Molineux, and has been one of the few bright spots in a desperately difficult season for the club, who sit 20th in the table with just 10 points from 28 games.
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On Sunday, the 25-year-old was brought down in the penalty area in the 43rd minute and stepped up to take the spot kick himself, only for Dean Henderson to save it comfortably. Evann Guessand scored a late winner for Palace to compound the misery.
At full time, Arokodare walked to the travelling Wolves supporters, raised his hands, and apologised. But it made no difference to the trolls waiting for him online.
Arokodare speaks out
The Lagos-born forward shared screenshots of the abuse he received on social media, with Wolves also publishing the messages in an official statement, describing the content as “abhorrent and unlawful.”
The club reported the perpetrators to Meta and the police.
“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,” Arokodare wrote.
“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.”
He was the third Premier League player targeted that weekend, after Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri were both abused on Saturday following their sides’ draw, with Sunderland’s Romaine Mundle also attacked online later on Sunday.
