Nigeria’s defensive leader William Troost-Ekong has officially announced his retirement from the Super Eagles, bringing an end to a decade-long international career marked by leadership, consistency, and big-game performances.
Although stepping away from active duty, Troost-Ekong will still travel with the national team to Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, serving in a non-playing, supportive capacity as the squad pushes for continental glory.
Troost-Ekong made his Super Eagles debut in 2015 during an AFCON qualifier against Chad. He went on to form one of Nigeria’s most iconic modern defensive pairings with Leon Balogun, a partnership fans named “The Oyibo Wall.”
He played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, establishing himself as a reliable presence at the heart of the defence.
His defining chapter came at the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, where he captained Nigeria to the final and delivered a towering tournament performance that earned him the AFCON 2023 Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Troost-Ekong leaves the national stage respected as a leader, admired as a professional, and remembered as one of Nigeria’s most dependable modern defenders.
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