Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, has disowned a press statement from the Federation’s communication department that blamed Super Eagles stars Cyril Dessers and William Troost-Ekong for Nigeria’s failure to beat South Africa in Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw by Bafana Bafana in Bloemfontein, a result that left Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup hanging in the balance.
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Troost-Ekong, the team captain, was unfortunate to score an own goal, while Dessers was accused of underwhelming performance in the NFF communication department’s release.
The controversial statement faulted Dessers for being “sluggish” and suggested he should not have made the team, while blaming Ekong for the own goal.
However, Sanusi clarified on Wednesday that the release did not represent the official position of the Federation.
“I saw the release just like everyone else did. Nobody in the Federation is happy with it,” Sanusi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“The NFF did not authorize that statement. We have great respect for all the players. Blaming an individual for a team result is unfair.”
Sanusi stressed that the South Africa match should be viewed as a collective effort, insisting that the Federation would not support attempts to scapegoat any player.
He described the criticism of Troost-Ekong as unjust, recalling that the defender was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
“It was an unfortunate own goal. Anyone who knows football understands that such things happen,” he said, while confirming that internal disciplinary measures would be taken over the unauthorized release.
Sanusi further expressed confidence in the unity of the team, assuring that preparations were ongoing for the remaining qualifiers and the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Nigeria currently sit third in Group C with 11 points from eight matches, behind leaders South Africa who have 17 points.
The Super Eagles must now win their remaining games against Lesotho and Benin Republic, while hoping other results go their way, to secure a playoff spot as one of the best second-placed teams across the CAF groups.
