NFF Blasts Dessers, Troost-Ekong After South Africa Draw

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has criticized striker Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong after the Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw with South Africa in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday in Bloemfontein.

According to a report by Vanguard, Nigeria went into the encounter needing a win to revive their qualification hopes but suffered a setback when Ola Aina limped off in the eighth minute. Matters worsened in the 25th minute as Troost-Ekong scored an own goal, giving Bafana Bafana the lead.

Fulham defender Calvin Bassey restored parity just before halftime with a powerful header. Despite dominating possession in the second half, Nigeria failed to convert their chances as substitutes Tolu Arokodare, Samuel Chukwueze, and Chrisantus Uche made little impact.

In a statement issued by its Director of Communications, Dr. Ademola Olajire, the NFF singled out Dessers for his poor performance.

“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 federation said.

The NFF also faulted Troost-Ekong for his own goal, which they said temporarily dampened the team’s spirit.

“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,” the statement noted.

However, the federation praised Calvin Bassey for his determination to pull Nigeria back into the contest.

“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,” it added.

Despite that moment of brilliance, the NFF lamented the Eagles’ lack of cutting edge in front of goal during the second half.

The draw leaves Nigeria with 11 points from eight games, keeping their hopes alive, while South Africa remain top of Group C with 17 points.

The Super Eagles must now beat both Lesotho and Benin Republic and hope other results go in their favour to stand any chance of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.