Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 32.
Ekong made the announcement on Thursday through an emotional post on Instagram, officially bringing his decade-long journey with the Nigerian national team to an end.
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 making his debut in 2015 under the late Stephen Keshi during a 2–0 win over Chad.
His retirement comes just 48 hours after he was named in Coach Eric Chelle’s 54-man provisional list for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled to kick off in Morocco on December 21.
Although he represented the Netherlands at youth level, Ekong chose to play for Nigeria and became one of the team’s most influential figures.
He featured at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, captained the team at various times, and helped Nigeria secure bronze at the 2019 AFCON.
After a distinguished career with the Super Eagles, Ekong bows out as one of the team’s most respected leaders.
