NFF Blames Dessers, Ekong for Super Eagles’ Draw With South Africa

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has held Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong responsible for the Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw against South Africa in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles faced Bafana Bafana on Tuesday in Bloemfontein, entering the game desperate for a win to boost their qualification chances.

However, their hopes took an early blow when Troost-Ekong inadvertently scored an own goal in the 25th minute, handing South Africa the lead.

Nigeria fought back just before halftime through Calvin Bassey’s powerful header, restoring parity in the intense clash.

In a post-match statement, NFF Director of Communications, Dr. Ademola Olajire, singled out Dessers for criticism, revealing his poor display led to his early substitution.

“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 the own goal, which it claimed temporarily deflated the team’s morale.

“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 added.

Despite the criticisms, the federation praised Bassey for his determination to pull Nigeria back into the game.

“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 noted.

However, the NFF lamented the Eagles’ lacklustre second-half performance, criticising their bluntness in attack and inability to convert key chances.

With the result, Nigeria sit third in Group C with 11 points from eight games, six points behind leaders South Africa. The Super Eagles now face an uphill battle, needing wins against Lesotho and Benin Republic while hoping rivals slip, to keep their 2026 World Cup dream alive.