Super Eagles captain William Troost‑Ekong has responded to criticism from Michael Lahoud and former teammate Troy Deeney, Soccernet.ng reports.
The former Watford defender described their remarks on CBS Sports as disrespectful and revealed that he had to Google who Lahoud was before understanding his comments.
The Nigerian defender, who has earned 83 caps and captained the Super Eagles to the AFCON 2023 final, said he was disappointed by the comments, especially given his past support for Deeney during his time at Watford.
Ekong insisted that the Super Eagles remain united and focused on their upcoming 2026 World Cup playoff final against DR Congo.
Despite the criticism, Ekong emphasised that such comments serve as extra motivation, and that the team’s performance on the pitch remains the priority.
What Michael Lahoud and Troy Deeney said about Ekong
On CBS Sports, Lahoud, former Leone Stars midfielder and pundit, questioned Ekong’s leadership on the pitch:
“You need to have serious leadership, and the only leader in Nigeria right now is Victor Osimhen. William Troost‑Ekong hasn’t stepped up as a leader. He’s a social media leader … On the field, he’s done zero talking. He hasn’t led from the back, so at the end of the day, Nigeria needs to do the talking on the pitch.”
Meanwhile, former Watford striker and teammate of Ekong, Deeney, agreed with Lahoud and added that the current Super Eagles squad needs a nasty leader to push the team:
“I don’t think he’s the one who’ll be breaking down doors to make things happen. He’s a good guy, a good person, but in times like this, you need that nasty person who’s going to be like ‘You’re not training, you’re not moving.”
Deeney lamented that off-field issues continue to dominate discussions around Nigeria’s World Cup qualifiers.
William Troost-Ekong’s response
Ekong reacted firmly to the criticism and called the remarks disrespectful while also defending his role as the captain of the 2013 AFCON Champions.
“Yeah, I thought it was very disrespectful. I had to Google who he was talking about me, and I think that if he had done his research, maybe he would have come up with a different explanation.
“We have multiple leaders in this team. Victor Osimhen is a leader in his own right. We have Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon — players who are coming of age and showing what they can do. But you can’t just wipe away someone’s contribution because they are on the bench. I’ve got 83 caps for Nigeria.
“To be honest, I was slightly disappointed because I supported him when he was the captain at Watford. I’ve also gone on to captain Watford myself. He could have just picked up the phone and called me. If he didn’t respect me, maybe he should take away the Nigeria shirt I gave him — maybe it’s on his wall somewhere. But I don’t want to talk about it too much.
“The most important thing is that we did what we needed to do tonight. All these kinds of things serve as extra motivation. The team is really united, and we are focused on the game on Sunday because we know without that game, this is not going to mean a lot.” he said while speaking to Kelechi Anyikude.
Watch what Troost-Ekong said here:
Super Eagles Captain William Troost Ekong responds to disrespectful comments from his ex-teammate Troy Deeney and Michael Lahoud on CBS Sports show.
•#supereagles #nigeria #troostekong #troydeeney #worldcupqualifiers pic.twitter.com/n8kT7ntKkh— Dr. Kelechi Anyikude (@KelechiAFC) November 13, 2025
Super Eagles gear up for World Cup play-off final
The Super Eagles are now fully focused on their World Cup play-off final against DR Congo, scheduled for this coming Sunday.
With a place in the inter-confederation playoff at stake, Nigeria will have to deliver a do-or-die performance to secure their spot.