William Troost Ekong’s future with the Super Eagles has taken a dramatic turn after a report revealed that the captain is preparing to walk away from international football, Footynaija.com reports.
Over the past few months, the 32-year-old has had a difficult run with the national team. Coach Eric Chelle has favoured younger defenders, with players like Benjamin Fredrick breaking into the starting lineup earlier in the World Cup campaign.
Off the pitch, Troost-Ekong also carried the burden of leadership, including the recent players’ training boycott just before the playoff match against Gabon. Now, according to Score Nigeria, he has reportedly decided to step away from international football entirely.
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The outlet quoted a top source who said, “By playing at the AFCON, he may not meet up this number of games and so was forced to take the decision to quit international football altogether.”
It added that the defender made the call before the Playoff final clash with DR Congo, saying, “He took this decision even before the final Playoffs clash against DR Congo and only told the rest of the squad after the game.”
As revealed in the report, the club situation of the Netherlands-born defender is the major factor. Since joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Kholood on a two-year deal in August 2024, he has been under pressure to meet strict appearance targets.
Travelling to Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations could jeopardise those targets and potentially affect his role and standing at the club.
Troost-Ekong has earned nearly 80 caps since his debut in June 2015 and has featured in major tournaments for Nigeria, including the 2018 World Cup. He also wore the captain’s armband during their run to the 2023 AFCON final, where he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
For Nigeria, the timing couldn’t be worse. The team is already without Benjamin Fredrick, ruled out of AFCON 2025 with a knee injury. Losing their captain on top of that leaves a young, unsettled defence without its most experienced leader.
