Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to a distinguished era with Nigeria.
The Independent Mirror reports that the 32-year-old defender will not feature at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, marking the first major tournament Nigeria will attend without him in almost 10 years.
Troost-Ekong, who earned 83 caps and featured in five major tournaments, said the decision comes with “peace knowing that throughout all these milestones I gave everything I had.”
Reflecting on his journey, he said wearing the national colours was “more than playing football. It has been a duty, a privilege, and an honour.”
The former Super Eagles captain described his debut in 2015 as the moment everything changed, recalling how the late Stephen Keshi trusted him early on.
“His belief in me ignited a desire to follow in his footsteps,” he said.
Troost-Ekong highlighted the pride he felt leading to Nigeria, especially during the 2023 AFCON, where he was named Player of the Tournament after scoring in the final.
“That tournament taught me what it truly means to be Nigerian: that in adversity, we come together, we hustle, we fight through the pain and we rise,” he said.
His five goals at the Africa Cup of Nations remain the highest total ever scored by a defender in the competition’s history
Troost-Ekong’s club career has taken him across Europe, with spells in England, Italy, Turkey and Greece before joining PAOK in July 2023. In August 2024, he moved to Saudi Arabian side Al-Kholood.
