The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has come down hard on striker Cyriel Dessers and faulted captain William Troost-Ekong following the Super Eagles’ disappointing 1-1 draw against South Africa in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday in Bloemfontein.

Nigeria went into the encounter needing a win to keep their qualification hopes alive but were dealt an early blow when defender Ola Aina limped off in the eighth minute. Matters worsened in the 25th minute when Troost-Ekong put the ball into his own net, gifting Bafana Bafana the lead.

Fulham defender Calvin Bassey restored parity just before the break with a powerful header, but despite enjoying more of the ball in the second half, the Super Eagles failed to turn dominance into goals. Substitutes Tolu Arokodare, Samuel Chukwueze and Chrisantus Uche all struggled to make an impact.

In a statement issued by its Director of Communications, Dr. Ademola Olajire, the NFF singled out Dessers for his poor showing, noting he was substituted at halftime after another underwhelming display.

“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 Ekong for his own goal, which temporarily deflated the team’s spirit.

“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.

However, the federation lauded Bassey for his determination to drag Nigeria back into the contest.

“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 added.

Despite that, the NFF lamented the Eagles’ second-half performance, criticising their lack of cutting edge in front of goal.

Although the draw ensured Nigeria stayed in contention with 11 points from eight games, South Africa remain firmly on top of Group C with 17 points.

The Super Eagles must now beat both Lesotho and Benin Republic — and hope results elsewhere go their way — to stand any chance of qualifying for next year’s World Cup in North America. (Vanguard)