THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has praised Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong after he announced his retirement from international football.
The 32-year-old Saudi Arabia-based centre-back confirmed yesterday that he was quitting the Super Eagles after 10 years of service during which he earned 83 caps and scored eight goals.
Troost-Ekong’s retirement came curiously just 17 days to the kick-off of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, and after he had been included in the Super Eagles’ provisional squad.
“After a dispassionate evaluation of his 10-year stewardship with the Senior National Team of Nigeria (Super Eagles), the Nigeria Football Federation wishes to eulogize William Troost-Ekong following his announcement of immediate retirement from international football on Thursday, 4 December 2025,” the NFF wrote in a statement made available to Naija Times today.
“Captain Troost-Ekong was a dedicated, selfless and humble leader of the Super Eagles for so many years, having started his international journey in the year 2015.
“He served with gusto, zeal and patriotic fervour, and he bestrode the pitch with passion, pride, purpose and commendable sense of duty.
“Even as just another member of the group, before he became the captain, Troost-Ekong was pleasant, disciplined and ambitious, and he wore the green-and-white with so much joy, zest, and focus.
“Troost-Ekong’s service delivery over the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2019, 2021 and 2023 is a marker for younger footballers to seek to emulate. His silver and bronze medals from the continental championship are mere drops in a fabulous journey that saw him play in the biggest stage of them all – the FIFA World Cup finals – and score telling goals for Nigeria at international level.
“In the same vein, his 83 caps for motherland across five competitions means he is leaving the stage a fulfilled man, and can reflect on his decade-long stewardship with so much pride and sense of accomplishment.
“Aside from his three crucial goals for the Super Eagles as they reached the Final of the last edition of the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, Troost-Ekong was, deservedly so, named the Man of the Competition (otherwise known as Most Valuable Player of the Tournament).
“As he retires from the international game, the Nigeria Football Federation wishes William Troost-Ekong the very best in his future endeavours, and will do whatever we can, within our capacity, to help him accomplish his future goals and objectives within the round-leather game.”
Troost-Ekong was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and Nigerian father.
He made his Super Eagles debut under the legendary defender Stephen Keshi in 2015 after having featured for the Dutch at youth international levels.
Troost-Ekong won bronze with the Super Eagles at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt and scored in the 2023 final as Nigeria lost to hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
His last major act as Super Eagles captain was leading the boycott of training to demand the settlement of owed allowances and bonuses from the NFF in November, on the eve of the World Cup play-offs.