December 04, (THEWILL) — Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has retired from international football just weeks before the Africa Cup of Nations begins in Morocco.
The 32-year-old defender, who earned 83 caps for the Super Eagles, announced his decision following last month’s penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in a World Cup qualifying play-off.
Troost-Ekong made his debut in 2015 after receiving a call from the late Stephen Keshi and went on to lead Nigeria to the AFCON final in 2023, where he scored and was named Player of the Tournament.
The former Watford centre-back also represented his country at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and won a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Troost-Ekong said captaining Nigeria exceeded his wildest dreams. He revealed the decision followed sleepless nights but felt the time was right to allow the next generation of leaders to take over.
Teammates attempted to persuade him to continue, yet he remained convinced about his choice.
The defender expressed satisfaction at inspiring players from the diaspora to represent Nigeria, citing Ademola Lookman and others who have chosen the Super Eagles.
He acknowledged organisational challenges within Nigerian football and stated his desire to help improve structures through future involvement with the Nigeria Football Federation.
Troost-Ekong confirmed his commitment to Nigerian communities will continue through The Troost-Ekong Foundation. Nigeria’s opening match at the Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled for December 23 against Tanzania, and the defender said he will watch as a passionate supporter whilst the team attempts to claim its first tournament victory in over a decade.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
