Sport
Troost-Ekong Takes Blame for Mistake in Super Eagles’ Draw Against Zimbabwe
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has admitted fault for the mistake that led to Zimbabwe’s last-minute equaliser in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
Victor Osimhen had put Nigeria ahead in the 74th minute after connecting with a cross from Ola Aina. However, Zimbabwe leveled the score in stoppage time when Tawanda Chirewa slipped past Troost-Ekong and fired the ball past goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Troost-Ekong, who was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2023 AFCON, faced backlash on social media for allowing Chirewa to get through so easily.
Addressing the criticism on X, the former Watford defender wrote, “I take responsibility. Same target ahead. We’ll do it together! Nigeria Super Eagles.”
The draw puts Nigeria’s qualification hopes at risk, with the team now sitting in fourth place in Group C with six points, behind group leaders South Africa.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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