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Fisayo Dele-Bashiru made a memorable start to his national team career, scoring a crucial goal for the Super Eagles in their World Cup qualifier against South Africa.
Despite being outplayed and conceding the first goal in the first half, the Super Eagles managed to hold South Africa to a 1-1 draw.
“We entered the game a little bit sloppy in the first half. We didn’t create much. In the first half, we should have done a little bit better, we should have entered the game a little bit quicker,” said head coach Finidi George in his post-match conference.
Nigeria started the second half strongly, with Dele-Bashiru equalizing in the 46th minute.
The early goal in the second half energized the team, leading to a stronger performance, although they couldn’t convert the chances created.
Dele-Bashiru, 23, earned his first call-up to the national team in October 2023, making an appearance in a friendly against Mozambique but missing AFCON 2023 in January as he wasn’t invited by the former coach, José Peseiro.
After a standout season with Hatayspor, where he scored 9 goals and provided 6 assists in 39 matches, Dele-Bashiru was called up by Finidi for the World Cup qualifiers. His performance did not disappoint.
Unfortunately, Dele-Bashiru’s couldn’t finish the game as he was stretchered off in the 61st minute after a hard foul by a South African player in the penalty box.
Despite the clear foul, no penalty was awarded as VAR is not used in the qualifiers.
Injury Update
Super Eagles head coach Finidi provided an update on the midfielder’s condition, stating,
“He had a knock. The medical staff will observe him and see how he feels. These knocks can be tricky, so we’ll see how his body reacts tomorrow morning.”
Reflecting on Dele-Bashiru’s performance, Finidi expressed satisfaction.
“It was a great performance from him, which is why he played. People often question our decisions, but now everyone is praising his performance.
“Leave the job to the coaches; we know what we’re doing.” Finidi stated
Future Prospects
Currently, Serie A club Lazio are working on a deal to sign the Nigerian from Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor.
The midfielder left Manchester City in 2020, after training with the first team under Pep Guardiola, in search of senior team football with Sheffield Wednesday.
Dele-Bashiru, who has a contract with Hatayspor until June 30, 2026, has attracted interest from several European clubs after an impressive debut season in Turkey.
According to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, as reported by beIN Sports, Lazio is prepared to offer €5 million, although Hatayspor values him at €6 million.
With Hatayspor narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Dele-Bashiru is likely seeking a move to a more ambitious club and may push for Hatayspor to lower their asking price to facilitate his transfer to Lazio.
