The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has deleted a controversial press release that singled out Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers and captain William Troost-Ekong for criticism, following intense backlash from Nigerians and media practitioners.
The statement, originally published on the Federation’s website by its Communications Department, described Dessers as “too slow to latch onto passes, unable to win aerial duels and offering little in attack”.
It also accused him of failing to improve on a previous poor outing in Uyo, where he was “a substitute that was substituted”.
NFF Communication Department statement before it was deleted.
Troost-Ekong was also criticised for inadvertently scoring an own goal that gave South Africa the lead in Tuesday’s 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw in Bloemfontein.
The release triggered widespread outrage, with many questioning why the Federation would scapegoat individual players. Crumbling under the criticism, the NFF quietly deleted the section on Dessers from its website.
NFF Communication Department statement after the Cyriel dessers section was expunged.
In a telephone interview with journalist Omofoma Ebare yesterday, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi denied that the Federation sanctioned the statement.
“It was a painful result, but as a believer, I know that whatever comes is from God,” Sanusi said. “We are not happy, and we apologize to all Nigerians. But I saw the press release the same way everyone else did. The NFF did not authorize anyone to publish such a statement.”
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Sanusi stressed that the team must win and lose together.
“We are proud of our players. Blaming individuals is not acceptable. When we win, it’s a team effort, and when we lose, it’s the same. No single player should be held responsible.”
He also praised Dessers and Troost-Ekong for their contributions to Nigerian football, insisting they deserved respect and support.
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The 1-1 draw leaves Nigeria on 11 points from eight matches, six adrift of leaders South Africa. Benin moved into second with 14 points after beating Lesotho 4-0.
With only two fixtures left, the Super Eagles risk missing back-to-back World Cup tournaments, having also failed to reach the 2022 finals in Qatar.
