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Ex-Super Eagles’ defender Mutiu Adepoju blames poor pitch as Nigeria drew 1-1 with South Africa.
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Troost-Ekong scored an own goal, but Bassey equalised before half-time.
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Nigeria must win their next two matches to keep 2026 World Cup hopes alive.
The Super Eagles drew 1-1 with South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, and former midfielder Mutiu Adepoju blamed the poor Free State Stadium pitch for Nigeria losing two points.
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William Troost-Ekong turned the ball into his own net in the 25th minute to put South Africa ahead.
Calvin Bassey then headed a leveller in the 44th minute to pull Nigeria level before half-time.
“I am not really happy with the kind of pitch that was used for this big game of this nature. As you can see, the Super Eagles players are really struggling to cope with it because it’s a bumpy pitch. “The players tried their best to cope with the nature of the pitch, and it’s so unfortunate that Nigeria could only play a 1-1 draw against South Africa,” – Mutiu Adepoju said.
The draw leaves Nigeria on 11 points in Group C, six behind South Africa and sitting behind Benin Republic on goal difference.
With October’s final qualifiers coming up, the Super Eagles must beat Lesotho and then Benin Republic to keep their 2026 World Cup hopes alive.
Despite the frustration, the team showed grit. Now coaches must sharpen preparations, because ultimately results,not excuses will decide Nigeria’s path to the 2026 World Cup.
