Super Eagles players and the Confederation of African Football have praised William Troost-Ekong, who announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, ending a decade-long career with Nigeria just two weeks before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 32-year-old defender confirmed his decision in an emotional video shared on social media, bringing an end to days of speculation that followed Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout loss to DR Congo in the playoffs.
Troost-Ekong, who made his debut for Nigeria in 2015 under the late Stephen Keshi, described his journey with the national team as the “greatest privilege” of his life.
“Today, I’m announcing my retirement from international football. In 2015, a late call from the late Stephen Keshi changed my life. A month later, the Big Boss gave me my debut. His belief in me ignited the desire to follow his footsteps,” he said.
“Every time I put on the iconic shirt and walked onto the pitch, I thought about that exact moment. Going on to captain the Super Eagles was beyond my wildest dreams.”
Troost-Ekong expressed gratitude to fans, coaches, and teammates, saying wearing the Super Eagles armband was an honour he would cherish forever.
“To have achieved 83 senior caps, played in five major tournaments, won three medals, and broken a few records, I really lived my dreams,” he added.
He also reflected on the emotional journey of the 2023 AFCON, where he captained Nigeria to the final, scored in the decisive match, and won Player of the Tournament.
Ekong said he is stepping aside with peace of mind, confident that he has given everything to inspire the next generation of Super Eagles players.
“The time has come to pass on the responsibility, to pass on the opportunity, to pass on the captaincy. I am so proud to be part of a group that showed it is possible to come home, play, and represent our nation,” he said.
His announcement has drawn tributes from teammates and football bodies. Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers called him a “Legend”, Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina wrote “My champion!!!”, and Ademola Lookman hailed him as a “Leader”.
CAF also paid tribute on X, writing, “Legends remain, in their time and long after it. William Troost-Ekong. It’s been a pleasure, captain.”
Ekong’s retirement came less than 48 hours after he was named in Eric Chelle’s provisional 54-man squad for the upcoming AFCON, set to begin in Morocco on December 21.
Although he featured for the Netherlands at youth level, Ekong chose to represent Nigeria and made his senior debut in 2015 during an AFCON qualifier against Chad. He played at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, became one of the team’s leaders in 2021, and won bronze at the 2019 AFCON.
His standout moments came at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast, where he scored three goals—including one in the final—and earned the Best Player award, a rare honour for a defender.
Ekong retires with 83 caps and eight goals for Nigeria, leaving behind a legacy that will be hard to replace as the Super Eagles prepare for AFCON in a group with Uganda, Tunisia, and Tanzania.
