The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has strongly criticized Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong following Nigeria’s 1-1 stalemate against South Africa in a crucial 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup qualifier in Bloemfontein.
The Super Eagles, who desperately needed a win to revive their shaky qualification campaign for next year’s tournament in North America, were dealt an early blow when Ola Aina limped off in the eighth minute. Matters worsened when Troost-Ekong mistakenly turned the ball into his own net in the 25th minute, gifting Bafana Bafana the lead.
Fulham defender Calvin Bassey came to Nigeria’s rescue, equalising with a powerful header just before half-time. Despite dominating possession in the second half, Nigeria could not find a winning goal as substitutes Samuel Chukwueze, Tolu Arokodare, and Chrisantus Uche all failed to unlock the South African defence.
In a statement released through its Director of Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire, the NFF singled out Dessers for stern criticism.
“Cyriel Dessers, who had an unimpressive game in Uyo where he turned out to be a substitute that was substituted, did not have a better game as he was too slow to latch onto passes, could not win aerial balls and did little in bringing alive the Nigerian attack,” the statement read.
The federation also faulted captain Troost-Ekong for his own goal.
“The Super Eagles’ fighting spirit was diminished for a period after team captain William Ekong inadvertently swept the ball into his own net in the 25th minute, wrong-footing Stanley Nwabali to give the Bafana the lead and great impetus,” it added.
However, the NFF praised Bassey’s resilience, commending his contribution in ensuring Nigeria went into the break level.
“Defender Calvin Bassey showed immense fighting spirit and resilience to get Nigeria back into the game with a minute left of the first period, when he ran with the ball upfront. The ball found Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, whose pull-out Bassey met firmly to nod past Ronwen Williams for the leveller,” the federation explained.
Despite a spirited second-half display, the Eagles fell short in converting dominance into goals, with late chances squandered.
The result leaves Nigeria with 11 points from eight games in Group C, while South Africa lead with 17 points. To stand a chance of qualifying, Nigeria must now secure victories against Lesotho and Benin Republic while hoping rivals slip up.
okay.ng reports that the disappointing draw has sparked concerns over Nigeria’s readiness for the global stage.
