Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan's family home in Accra is under police surveillance following death threats made by fans after the Udinese star's below par performance against Namibia.
The police protection was set up after the 22-year-old threatened to quit the African Nations Cup at the weekend in protest at the treatment meted out to him by the fans and media.
Gyan's mother, Cecilia Love Amoako, issued a plea to his detractors, telling them to lay off her son, whose elder brother Baffour is also in Claude Le Roy's squad.
"Ghanaians are ungrateful. My son is only 22 but has done something good for the nation, so he should not be treated this way," she said in an interview with Graphic Sports newspaper on Tuesday.
"In Ghana, before a player stops playing for the nation, Ghanaians will destroy him," the headmistress of a school in Accra warned.
She told the paper the decision to put the family home under police protection came after a crisis meeting on Saturday night between the Gyan brothers, their parents, and Ghana's Sports Minister Dominic Fobih.
Gyan's teammate Michael Essien has also hit out at the taunts received by his teammate.
"It's really unfair to criticise and go against Asamoah," said the Chelsea midfielder who played a starring role in Monday's win.
"Okay he missed chances against Namibia, but everyone has to get behind him.
"It's not good to insult him, he's a young lad coming up and doing well for his team.
"The fans shouldn't insult us, we only want to do the best for our country. Hopefully we can achieve something for the nation."
Gyan put in a far more polished display in Ghana's 2-0 win over Morocco on Monday, a result that put them into the quarter-finals.
The crowd's reaction was markedly different at the Ohene Djan stadium on Monday. Gyan was cheered the loudest when his name was read out by the stadium announcer going through the team line-ups, and his every move encouraged.
Ghana's last eight match against the Group B runners-up takes place in Accra on Sunday.