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The Nigeria Football Federation criticised Cyriel Dessers and William Troost-Ekong after Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with South Africa.
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Bassey equalised after an own goal, but the Super Eagles wasted chances.
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They now trail the group leaders by six points.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has publicly criticised striker Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong after the Super Eagles were held to a damaging 1-1 draw by South Africa in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Bloemfontein.
Also Read: 2026 World Cup: Nigeria’s Hopes Fade After 1–1 Draw With South Africa
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Nigeria needed a win to keep automatic qualification hopes alive, but the game went against them early.
Ola Aina left the field with a knock in the opening minutes, and midway through the first half Troost-Ekong turned a defensive touch into an own goal to give Bafana Bafana the lead.
Just before the break, Fulham defender Calvin Bassey ran into the attack and headed home to level the scores, restoring belief among the visitors.
However, despite more of the ball after the interval, Nigeria could not find a winner; substitutes including Tolu Arokodare, Samuel Chukwueze and Christantus Uche were unable to change the outcome.
In a terse post-match statement, NFF singled out Dessers, who was replaced at half-time for failing to make an impact in the game, saying he was slow to connect with passes and offered little aerial threat.
The federation also criticised Troost-Ekong’s own goal for briefly sapping the team’s momentum, while praising Bassey’s resilience in hauling the side back into the contest.
Following the draw, Super Eagles were able to amass 11 points from eight games, while South Africa top Group C on 17 points – a position that now leaves Nigeria needing wins over Lesotho and Benin and favourable results elsewhere to resuscitate their World Cup dreams.
Consequently, the pressure on the team and federation will increase in the closing fixtures.
For fans and neutral observers alike, the match underlined a clear problem: despite patches of control, the Super Eagles lacked a cutting edge in the final third.
