Football: Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong ‘retires’ from international football
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Troost-Ekong to travel to AFCON 2025 in supportive role?
Nigerian football has been rocked in the past week, with widespread reports indicating that Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has confirmed his retirement from international football ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
While the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has yet to provide an official statement on the matter, it is understood that the 31-year-old defender informed his teammates and club officials of his decision following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Troost-Ekong has served the Super Eagles for over a decade and during this period, helped the nation qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, while also leading them to second place at the 2023 AFCON, where he was named MVP of the tournament.
Further reports have suggested that the recent standoff over unpaid salaries ahead of the Super Eagles’ WC Qualifiers, which were led by the Al-Kholood defender, has also contributed to his decision to call time on his illustrious career.
Troost-Ekong is expected to travel with the national team to Morocco for the upcoming 2025 AFCON, but in a supportive role. However, with official confirmation still awaited, as well as Eric Chelle’s delay in providing his preliminary squad, there is still a belief among fans that the NFF are attempting to persuade the defender to reconsider.
Nigeria suffer major defensive blow ahead of AFCON
With the news of Troost-Ekong’s retirement, concerns have already surfaced around Nigeria’s defence for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, and it has been revealed that the Super Eagles have been dealt another major blow in that regard.
Benjamin Fredrick, who is currently on loan at FCV Dender from Premier League team Brentford, has been rapidly building a name for himself internationally and is widely considered to be Troost-Ekong’s successor.
However, it has now been confirmed that the 20-year-old defender, who was earmarked to be a big part of the Super Eagles AFCON team, has sustained a knee injury and has returned to England to commence rehabilitation with the Bees’ medical team.
Initial assessments on Fredrick’s injury suggested that he will be unable to feature for his nation in Morocco later this month. If these reports are confirmed when Chelle reveals his preliminary squad, it could leave the Super Eagles head coach with a massive void to fill in defence.
