William Troost-Ekong, Super Eagles captain, has announced
his retirement from international football.
Ekong announced his decision to quit the Nigerian national
team in an Instagram post on Thursday.
“Today, I am announcing my retirement from international
football,” the 32-year-old said in a video.
Ekong said his Eagles journey “ends here” and his pivot to
the “next chapter” begins.
The defender, who was born in the Netherlands, said he is
proud to “be part of the group that showed that it is possible to come home to
play and represent our beloved nation”.
“The time has come to pass on the responsibility, to pass on
the opportunity, to pass on the captaincy,” he said.
Ekong’s retirement comes less than 48 hours after he was
listed in Eric Chelle’s 54-player squad for the forthcoming African Cup of
Nations (AFCON), which will commence in Morocco from December 21.
Although he represented the Netherlands at the youth levels,
Ekong opted to play for the Eagles and made his senior debut in 2015 during an
AFCON qualifier against Chad.
He played for Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and
was named one of the team’s leaders in 2021. He won bronze with the team at the
2019 AFCON.
His finest hours with the Eagles were at the AFCON in Côte
d’Ivoire. He scored three goals, including a header in the final, as Nigeria
finished with silver behind the host country.
Ekong was also named the competition’s best player — a rare
honour for a defender.
He made 83 appearances for Nigeria throughout his
decade-long spell and scored eight goals.
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