Okocha Defends Iwobi : He Thought He Was Tripped And Did Not Moan

Retired Nigeria international Emmanuel Okocha has defended his nephew, Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi, over the incident during the first-half of the Champions League Round of 16, Game 2 between the Premier League club and Barcelona.

No penalty was given in the 35th minute after Iwobi fell in the penalty area, and Okocha has revealed that the Super Eagles player accidentally fell to the turf and did not allow the incident affect his performance on the night after his penalty appeal was turned down.

“Well from the review I didn’t get to see when he was tripped, he tripped himself, kind of, accidentally,” Okocha told allnigeriasoccer.com.

“As a player, you’ll think you were tripped from behind, he didn’t do it on purpose but he stood up and wasn’t moaning.

“As he is a young player, this shouldn’t come up, it’s part of the game. He did so well considering that’s the biggest stage he has played on and he is not a regular.”

Alex Iwobi was one of the most impressive players for Arsenal in their 3-1 loss to the defending champions at the Nou Camp.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel