William Troost-Ekong was Nigeria's villain on Tuesday night as the Super Eagles' hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup suffered another dent after a 1-1 draw against South Africa, Soccernet.ng reports.
Heading into their World Cup qualifier against South Africa at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, the Super Eagles knew they were up for war, as it was win-or-bust. Any other result was going to be detrimental.
And although they played well, they had to settle for a draw against a well-drilled Bafana Bafana side that matched them pound for pound.
Super Eagles captain Troost-Ekong inadvertently scored the opener for South Africa in the 25th minute, but Calvin Bassey later equalized in the 44th minute to make it 1-1.
Calvin Bassey with his best impression of “The Hand of God” pic.twitter.com/5BUmb2nwkq
— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) September 9, 2025
The game ended that way, and that makes Nigeria's qualification for the World Cup a whole lot tougher, in fact, borderline impossible. South Africa just need a point from their next two games to seal their place in the USA.
In this piece, Soccernet.ng rates the performances of the players who did duty for Nigeria.
Super Eagles Player Ratings
Stanley Nwabali 6.5/10: Chippa United goalkeeper Nwabali had a decent game for Nigeria. He did not face a lot of shots on the night, but he held his own and commanded his area very well. He will be gutted at his inability to keep a clean sheet though, as South Africa's goal was a fortuitous own goal.
William Troost-Ekong 4.9/10: William Troost-Ekong did not start Nigeria's last game, but Eric Chelle gave him a starting shirt this time. Unfortunately, he scored an own goal. Aside from his error, he looked decent. But his teammates would be pained by the fact that it was their leader that cost them.
Benjamin Fredrick 6.8/10: Benjamin is fast making a name for himself. He put in another solid performance despite playing in his first senior away competitive game for the Super Eagles. The Dender man was ruthless, solid as a rock, disciplined, and calm. It was a very good showing from him.
Calvin Bassey 7/10: Calvin Bassey scored Nigeria's only goal of the game, and it was his first for the Super Eagles.
From the blast of the whistle, the Fulham star showed that he was ready to ball, and he did it well. He had a few errors, including one that set Lyle Foster through on goal, but the South African failed to score.
The result was 1-1, but Bassey will be happy with his performance on the night.
Ola Aina 6/10: Ola Aina did not do much. He played just 10 minutes before he was taken off after sustaining an injury. But he looked really good, and it seemed he would have added a lot more to the attack.
Bright Osayi-Samuel 6.7/10: Bright Osayi-Samuel had a very good game against South Africa. He was solid at the back and did his bit to support the attack.
Osayi-Samuel made it really difficult for the Bafana Bafana attackers to get past him. So, his wing was solid.
Bruno Onyemaechi 6/10: Bruno Onyemaechi had a decent game. There were situations when he was missing from from his position, but Bassey did well to cover for him.
Onyemaechi failed to make a significant attacking contribution though, as his crossed were poor. Nonetheless it was a decent showing from the Olympiacos man.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru 7/10: The Lazio star had a very good game for the Super Eagles. His work rate in the middle of the park was brilliant, and he was a constant thorn on the flesh of the South Africans. He supplied the assist for Nigeria's goal.
Wilfred Ndidi 6.6/10: Coming into the game, it was clear that Ndidi would have a lot of work to do. He struggled in the opening embers, but he grew into the game with time. His work rate and passion was very good today.
Alex Iwobi 6.7/10: Iwobi also had a good game today. He used the ball well when he had possession and put in a lot defensive work. But he did not offer much in the attack, perhaps it was due to Eric Chelle's setup.
Ademola Lookman 6.5/10: Lookman did not really offer much in the final third against South Africa. The Atalanta man is known for his ingenuity, but he was stifled. However, he made up for his attacking struggles with some defensive work for the Super Eagles.
Moses Simon 6/10: The Paris FC star had a very tough game. In the first half, he was totally bullied by South African defender Zuko Mdunyelwa. He basically offered offered nothing.
Nonetheless, he picked up the pace a little in the second half. Still, he didn't make a significant impact on the game.
Cyriel Dessers 5.8/10: Dessers had a tough day at work. The South Africans adopted a physical approach, but Dessers just wasn't cut out for it, as he failed to make his presence felt in the final third. No surprise that he was hauled off at halftime.
Tolu Arokodare 6.8/10: Although Arokodare failed to score, his employers will be smacking their lips right now, as the Super Eagles star showed that he is a real asset.
Arokodare showed that he can also use his feet well today. He also used his big frame to disturb the Bafana Bafana defence. He could have nicked a goal or an assist today.
Christantus Uche 6/10: Uche's introduction into the game opened things up. In fact, he took out Teboho Mokoena within two minutes of his introduction, albeit inadvertently.
He struggled with the pace of the game, as he tried to hold onto the ball a bit too much. But whenever he released the ball, it was on point.
Perhaps, if he had started the game, he would have had a bigger impact.
