William Troost-Ekong Super Eagles Marshal

Not since when Joseph Yobo at the height of his football career has the Super Eagles  had a true leader in their ranks. Until the just concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, the Nigeria senior football team was like the proverbial sheep without shepherd. However, when Nigeria kick-started the 2023 AFCON,  William Troost-Ekong took the mantle of leadership of three-time African champions and not only led the team to a silver medal, but also emerged as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player

Before the kickoff of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria was not on the list of bookmaker’s favourites after shunning some disappointing results, most notably in the World Cup qualifiers against minors-Lesotho and Zimbabwe, where they forced their opponents to a draw on both occasions.

Against all odds however, the team went on to play in the final of the biennial competition.

After drawing 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea, the Super Eagles did not concede any goal until the semifinals against South Africa and of cause, the two goals against the host – Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, in the final.

One of Nigeria’s standout player was on field captain,

Troost-Ekong, indeed proved to be a true leader, little wonder he was not only name in the team of the competition, but emerged as the best player of the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles captain scored a powerful header in the final as Nigeria lost 2-1 to Cote d’Ivoire. Troost-Ekong is also the highest-scoring defender in the competition, scoring three goals as Nigeria made the AFCON final for the first time since 2013.

He was the backbone of a stingy Nigerian defence that conceded just one goal from open play en route to the final.

Troost-Ekong is optimistic the Super Eagles will come back stronger after failing to win a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title in Cote d’Ivoire.

The 30-year-old, who expressed his disappointment on the team’s defeat to the Elephants, also thanked the fans for their support.

 ““Naija thank you! I love you. No words can justify the feeling of losing a final. I’m proud of our team, our nation, our spirit; heads up, keep trying, we will soar again. Congratulations CIV,” the defender wrote on his official X handle.

The centre-back finished the competition as Nigeria’s joint-top scorer with three goals.

Troost-Ekong opened scoring for the Super Eagles against Cote d’Ivoire in the final with their first attempt on goal and in doing so, the 30-year-old took his overall tally at the Africa Cup of Nations to five goals and became the highest scoring defender in the history of the competition. 

Troost-Ekong attributed the team’s AFCON success to the fact that no player sees himself as a superstar in the team’scamp.

He said the Super Eagles challenged for the 2023 AFCON trophy because there is a strong sense of unity in the squad.

He also said the team is successful because the young talented players in the team have something to prove.

 Ekong, who plays for PAOK, is the oldest player in Jose Peseiro’s team at the ongoing tournament.

Nine players of the Super Eagles in the competition play for top five European League clubs.

“I think all of us now playing in respectable teams in respect of the leagues, one or two in better teams than others, but everyone is young and wanted to prove something and that was what probably made us a good team”, he said.

“We are all in this together and as soon as we arrived here in the camp, I don’t think anyone thinks about what club they play for. It’s a real brotherhood going on. That’s making us play well.

“We don’t have any superstars in our team, I think before there’s been generations with Nigeria that they’ve had a lot of players playing in big teams.

“However much that’s helped the team it might have also been a bit difficult because you have different agendas maybe and you have to take into account a lot of different players and different mentalities.”

The 30-year-old was solid and only missed one game at the tournament, but it could not have been achieved after he was snubbed for almost a year by coach Jose Peseiro.

Before he was called up for the AFCON, his last game for Nigeria was the pre-World Cup friendly against Portugal in November 2022, which the Super Eagles lost 4-0. After that, he was an unused substitute twice, for the AFCON qualifying games against Sierra Leone in June and São Tomé and Principe in September, and was then omitted from the squad in October and November friendlies.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to play this AFCON or not and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue with the national team either because I was weighing all my options,” Troost-Ekong told ESPN.

“I felt that maybe the only thing that was going to stop me this time was that there was some disagreement with the coach before the tournament so I wasn’t sure if I was going to be part of the squad or not.

Having admitted to being in disagreement with Peseiro before the AFCON call-up, he also said he never gave up on the team after joining POAK in Greece last summer.

“I stayed in communication with the team, I was wishing them well. I also reminded the coach that I am available and I think everyone was impressed with how I was playing in the league and also the European Conference League.”

Troost-Ekong has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in the summer transfer window after putting on impressive performances in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

According to Fabrizio Romano, there is a growing interest from the Saudi Pro League to land Troost-Ekong in the summer.

His current deal at PAOK runs until June of 2026 and the Greek Super League leaders could listen to offers for the defender.

Troost-Ekong has represented multiple European sides throughout his career including Watford, Salernitana, Udinese, and Bursaspor.