‘My career has always been a testament of not giving up’: Nigerian captain William Troost-Ekong’s rollercoaster journey to the AFCON final.
In the recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, Nigerian captain William Troost-Ekong experienced the full spectrum of emotions, from the thrill of scoring to the disappointment of conceding the lead. However, such rollercoaster journeys are nothing new to him.
Just six months ago, the Super Eagles skipper contemplated retiring from international football altogether due to disagreements with coach José Peseiro.
Ekong reveals all including playing through pain
Tasked with motivating a team still reeling from the disappointment of missing out on qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Troost-Ekong also grappled with concerns about his treatment by the Portuguese manager.
“[It] resulted in us not actually speaking for a few months,” the defender told CNN World Sport’s Amanda Davies in a recent interview.
“That was the time where my pride and ego, I think maybe got the better of me. I thought about stopping,” he added. “Thankfully, I’ve got a good group of people around me who took me out of it.”
After discussions with family and friends, the 30-year-old reflected on his journey, including his international debut in 2015. Born to a Dutch mother, Troost-Ekong initially played for the Netherlands at the youth level before ultimately deciding to represent his father’s homeland, Nigeria, where he has since earned over 70 caps.
“[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],” he said.
“I deserved to give my younger self a better ending. So that was the thing that changed my mind … I think my career has always been a testament of not giving up.”
Troost-Ekong outstanding tournament
Troost-Ekong landed in the Ivory Coast for the 34th edition of AFCON as the captain of a team burdened by their recent failure to qualify for the World Cup, a setback they hadn’t experienced since 2018.
The Super Eagles made a nervy start to the group stage with a 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea, but back-to-back 1-0 wins over the Ivorian hosts – secured via a Troost-Ekong penalty – and Guinea Bissau booked their spot in the knockout stages.
It was hard-fought progress for the captain, who had picked up a hamstring injury in an early match but continued to play through often-excruciating pain.
“A lot of times I was gritting my teeth when I had a chance to breathe,” he recalled.
“If you have strong enough painkillers and enough adrenaline, you can do a lot more than you think sometimes.”
Triumphant victories against Cameroon and Angola paved the way for a semi-final clash against South Africa, where the captain, Troost-Ekong, showcased his leadership on the pitch. Notably, he displayed spot-kick heroics by converting a penalty during regular time and remaining composed during the subsequent shootout, ultimately propelling his team into the final in Abidjan.
The stage was set for a rematch with Ivory Coast. Despite the overwhelming home support, the visitors were on the brink of clinching the trophy for the first time in nine years with just 30 minutes remaining. Once again, Troost-Ekong rose to the occasion, securing the lead with a powerful header, edging his team closer to victory.
However, the hosts mounted a comeback in the second half, leveling the score before Sebastian Haller delivered a decisive blow with a winning goal just 10 minutes before full-time. This secured a third AFCON crown for Les Éléphants and left Nigerian hearts shattered.
“We should have pushed on a bit more to try and get the second goal, instead of trying to wait to see what would happen,” Troost-Ekong rued.
“They grew into the game, especially with the crowd … as soon as they scored the equalizer you could feel the momentum completely change.”
Despite defeat, the Super Eagles captain believes there were strong positives to take from a run to the final that settled any lingering differences with Peseiro.
“He gave us an identity this tournament which we needed,” he said, “because before the tournament, I think there was not enough of our real playing style.”
Changes ahead for Troost-Ekong
Troost-Ekong’s future is similarly open-ended. In a club career that has taken him from Holland through Belgium, Turkey, Italy and the English Premier League with Watford, he is enjoying his football at Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki, but refused to rule out another change of scenery eventually.
“I can’t reiterate enough how happy I am here at PAOK, but you never know in football … you might get tempted by something bigger and better,” he admitted.
“I think at my age of 30, you have to think about all your options. It will be something that I definitely consider.”
