According to Soccernet.ng, Hatayspor midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru believes Nigeria's loss to Benin Republic in the June World Cup qualifiers was due to a lack of concentration.
The Super Eagles got off to a fast start, taking the lead through Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge after brilliant play from Samuel Chukwueze.
However, Benin battled back to score twice in ten minutes, turning the tie around and winning 2-1 over Nigeria.
Dele-Bashiru did not play in the match due to an injury, but he believes his colleagues' lack of concentration gave the Cheetahs an advantage.
“We started the game strongly and were 1-0 up,” Dele-Bashiru told The Punch. “But from that point on, I think the team just lost concentration or we became overly confident that we were going to win the match, and that’s how we conceded the first goal.
“After that, the game opened up a little bit, and again, we lost concentration from the set piece, and once a team losing goes 2-1 up, it will be difficult to score them.”
The injury that kept Dele-Bashiru out of the Benin encounter occurred three days earlier in a match against South Africa.
The Manchester City product was Nigeria's standout player on the day, putting on an all-around performance that was capped by a beautiful goal. However, Dele-Bashiru's first international goal enabled Nigeria to draw 1-1 with South Africa.
While the 23-year-old says it was a proud moment to score his first Super Eagles goal on his competitive debut, he was disappointed that the goal was insufficient to secure a victory.
“It was a proud moment for me (to score for Nigeria),” Dele-Bashiru added. “Of course, I have been slowly introduced into the team, and I have had to be patient, and I am just happy that it paid off; I mean, the coach’s trust in me paid off. I am happy I made my family and a lot of Nigerians proud.”
Dele-Bashiru added: “Of course, I was disappointed with the result. The goal is to win as many games as possible, and with the squad we have, I think we have the quality to beat any team in Africa. We are disappointed that we didn’t get the three points.”
Shortly after his goal, Dele-Bashiru was hacked down in the South African danger zone, but the referee dismissed Nigeria's penalty claims.
The Hatayspor midfielder claims the whistleblower made the incorrect call. “In the moment, I felt it was a penalty,” Dele-Bashiru said. “It was a very hard tackle, and I still have marks on my leg from the tackle. In games like that, I feel there should be VAR, and that should help the referees make the right decisions.”
Dele-Bashiru is allegedly close to leaving Hatayspor for Serie A heavyweight SS Lazio.