William Troost Ekong: Super Eagles Captain Discusses What He Must Achieve to Be Considered Legend

• William Troost-Ekong has been an outstanding player for Nigeria
• The PAOK FC defender has made 71 appearances since his debut
• He feels he has not achieved legend status with the Super Eagles

Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has expressed his determination to achieve legendary status in Nigerian football.

The defender was instrumental for Jose Peseiro's side as they navigated rigid sides, but they came short in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.

Since his debut in 2015, the 30-year-old has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most consistent performers, making 71 appearances for the national team.

As reported by The Cable, he reached his peak during the 2023 AFCON tournament, scoring three goals in six appearances and being awarded the Player of the Tournament.

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The performance earned him the respect of Nigerian fans and elevated his status, making him a favourite and a contender among the country's greatest defenders of all time. However, the PAOK FC man modestly downplayed such discussions, believing he has yet to accomplish enough to be placed on that pedestal.

“Stephen Keshi was my first coach, someone I looked up to and missed very much. To be in the same sentence as him, I think about his AFCON achievements. For Joseph Yobo, I think there was a statistic about how many times I captained the team and was getting close to him, or maybe I surpassed him. Also, there is Taribo West, who just celebrated his 50th birthday. So, when I see players like that and the legacy they’ve left, you only dream about being able to be in that conversation. But I still think I have quite a way to go. I need to win an AFCON, that’s the baseline," he explained, as quoted by Soccernet.

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Since the end of the Ivory Coast tournament, Troost-Ekong has been sidelined due to injury. He missed the last international break when the team played friendlies against Ghana and Mali. He is expected to be available for selection in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa in June.

Troost Ekong wants local coach

Sports Brief reported that Troost-Ekong praised Portuguese tactician, Jose Peseiro, while expressing his preference for a local coach.

The national team has been looking for a new coach to succeed Peseiro, who left over a month ago.

Although several names have been linked with the role, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is yet to name his successor.