NFF Criticises Dessers, Faults Ekong After Eagles’ Draw With South Africa

The Nigeria Football Federation has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of Super Eagles forward Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong following Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Bloemfontein.

The Eagles, desperate for a win to revive their qualification hopes, suffered a blow early on when Ola Aina was forced off through injury in the eighth minute. Their troubles deepened in the 25th minute when Troost-Ekong inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, gifting Bafana Bafana the opener.

Fulham defender Calvin Bassey, however, restored parity just before the interval, heading home after combining well with Fisayo Dele-Bashiru. Despite dominating possession in the second half, Nigeria failed to make their pressure count, with substitutes Tolu Arokodare, Samuel Chukwueze, and Chrisantus Uche unable to find a breakthrough.

In a post-match statement signed by its Director of Communications, Dr. Ademola Olajire, the NFF singled out Dessers for criticism, describing his performance as “unimpressive.” The striker, who was substituted at half-time, was accused of being “too slow to react to passes, losing aerial duels, and offering little to the attack.”

The federation also faulted Troost-Ekong’s own goal, saying it “diminished the team’s fighting spirit for a period and handed the hosts a boost.” While praising Bassey’s resilience for dragging Nigeria level, the NFF lamented the team’s lack of sharpness in the final third, stressing that their dominance after the restart produced “very little.”

The result leaves Nigeria with 11 points from eight Group C matches, six behind leaders South Africa on 17. To stand any chance of reaching the 2026 World Cup in North America, the Eagles must now win their remaining fixtures against Lesotho and Benin Republic while hoping other results go their way.