Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong retires from international football at the age of 32


Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, 32,  has announced his international retirement from football.

 

Ekong announced his retirement in a post on Instagram on Thursday, bringing an end to his 10-year stay in the national team.

 

He wrote: “Honoured. Grateful. Forever a Super Eagle. Playing for Nigeria has been the greatest privilege of my life.

 

“The journey may end here, but my support never will. Here’s to the next chapter.

 

Troost-Ekong made 83 appearances for Nigeria after he was handed his debut by the late Stephen Keshi in a 2-0 win over Chad in 2015.

 

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.

 

He represented the Netherlands at the youth levels, but decided to play for the SuperEagles and made his senior debut in 2015 during an AFCON qualifier against Chad.

 

He also 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.

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