Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, has officially retired from international football, ending a remarkable 10-year journey with the Super Eagles.
The 31-year-old defender made the announcement on Thursday in an emotional message shared on Instagram, where he thanked Nigerians and described representing the country as the greatest honour of his life.
“Honoured. Grateful. Forever a Super Eagle. Playing for Nigeria has been the greatest privilege of my life,” Ekong wrote.
“The journey may end here, but my support never will. Here’s to the next chapter.”
His post came shortly after renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed the news on X, confirming that Ekong had called time on his international career after 83 caps, eight goals, three medals and appearances in five major tournaments.
Troost-Ekong, who currently plays for Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League, was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and Nigerian father. He represented the Netherlands at youth level before switching allegiance to Nigeria, making his senior debut on June 13, 2015, in an AFCON qualifier against Chad.
One of his most iconic achievements is his record-breaking tally of five goals at the Africa Cup of Nations — the highest ever scored by a defender in the tournament’s history. This record will remain untouched as he steps away from the national team.
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His final match for the Super Eagles was a brief appearance as a late substitute against Gabon on November 13. In recent months, he struggled for game time under head coach Eric Chelle and remained unused in the crucial World Cup play-off against DR Congo, which ended Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
Though named in Nigeria’s provisional 54-man squad for the upcoming AFCON in Morocco, Ekong’s retirement means he will not feature as the team heads to camp in Egypt on December 10 ahead of the tournament starting December 21.
As the Super Eagles prepare for a new chapter, they do so without one of their most trusted leaders and most experienced defenders — a player whose passion, commitment and legacy will continue to inspire the team for years to come.
