NFF denies blaming Dessers, Ekong over South Africa draw

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has disowned a controversial press release that blamed Captain William Troost-Ekong and striker Cyriel Dessers for the Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw against South Africa in Tuesday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier

Nigeria went into the match needing a win to stay on course for automatic qualification, but the result leaves the team six points behind group leaders South Africa and in danger of missing the playoffs.

The statement, issued by the NFF’s Communications Department shortly after the game, singled out Ekong and Dessers for poor performances at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.

Speaking to African Independent Television (AIT) on Wednesday, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi clarified that the Federation did not authorise the statement and promised that the matter would be dealt with internally.

“The Federation is pleased with the players, but not with the result, and we apologise to Nigerians for this disappointing outcome,” Sanusi said. “It was a painful result, but as a believer, I know that whatever comes is from God.”

Sanusi stressed that victories and defeats are shared responsibilities. “When we win, it’s a collective effort, and when we lose, we shouldn’t blame individual players. The NFF respects all its players,” he said.

He praised Ekong for his contributions to Nigerian football, recalling his ‘Player of the Tournament’ award at the last AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, and expressed shock that such a press release was issued.

“No player aims to score an own goal; it was an unfortunate event,” he added. “The NFF, the National Sports Commission, and the federal government are all solidly behind the team despite this setback.”

Sanusi confirmed that an investigation is underway to identify who was responsible for the statement.

With just 11 points from eight games, Nigeria’s qualification hopes are now hanging by a thread, putting them at risk of missing back-to-back World Cup tournaments after failing to qualify for Qatar 2022.