In an interview with CNN on 04 March, Super Eagles’ vice-captain William Troost-Ekong who captained Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the recently concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire revealed that he considered leaving the Super Eagles before the tournament. Ekong admitted he was not on speaking terms with former Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro and was concerned about the treatment he received from the Portuguese after the disappointment of the team missing out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. At the 2023 AFCON finals, where the Super Eagles lost 2-1 to host Cote d’Ivoire in the final, Ekong shone like a million stars and led the Super Eagles. He scored three goals at the tournament, taking his total tally at the AFCON to five, the most by any defender in the competition’s history. Ekong was also voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). The 30-year-old in the CNN interview stated that he hadn’t spoken with Peseiro for months and considered quitting international football. While the exact reason behind the icy relationship with Peseiro was not clarified, he said his pride and ego had taken the better of him for a while but “thankfully” a group of good people around him took him out of it. Ekong, who played for the Netherlands at the youth level, looked back on the moment he made his debut under the late Stephen Keshi, adding that he wanted to ‘give my younger self a better ending.’ He said, “It made me think about my younger self and how much it meant and how proud I was to play my first game for Nigeria.
But speaking on the trolling of his teammate Alex Iwobi on social media after the final against Cote d’Ivoire on February 12, Ekong condemned the abuse. He said, “It’s unfair, and it’s something that has become part of the Nigerian football fan culture. Different players have been there at different stages. “I’ve been there, but not to his extent, some years ago. Alex has a big personality; it’s something we love about him. He carries the team in his way; people sometimes forget that he’s played about 75 games for Nigeria. He’s past his uncle’s (Jay Jay Okocha) scoring record for Nigeria. There’s so much he’s done for the country.
On his potential move to Saudi Arabia, Ekong who has accumulated over 70 caps to date
and currently plays for the Greek side PAOK, reveals that he’s happy at the club but admits that the Saudi Pro League is exciting. He said “I’m very happy here, but I’ve not spoken to my agent yet, but you never know in football. It’s happened to me many times. You might get tempted by something bigger and better. At the age of 30, you’ve got to think about all your options. It’s something I will definitely consider”.
