Troost-Ekong, Dessers Responsible For Super Eagles Tie— NFF 

Troost-Ekong, Dessers Responsible For Super Eagles Tie— NFF 

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has publicly criticized Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong after the Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw with South Africa in Tuesday’s 2026 World Cup qualifier.

Nigeria, desperate for all three points to boost their qualification hopes, fell behind in the 25th minute when Troost-Ekong inadvertently scored an own goal.

The team, however, equalized just before halftime through a powerful header from Calvin Bassey.

In a post-match statement, NFF’s Director of Communications, Dr. Ademola Olajire, singled out Dessers—who was substituted at the break—and faulted Troost-Ekong for gifting Bafana Bafana the opener.

“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 statement read.

“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.