Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong on Thursday confirmed he is drawing the curtain on his international career, ending a ten–year spell with Nigeria’s senior national team.
The defender made the announcement in an emotional Instagram post, expressing deep appreciation for the opportunity to wear the green and white jersey and noting that although his playing journey has ended, his loyalty to the team remains intact.
“Honoured. Grateful. Forever a Super Eagle. Playing for Nigeria has been the greatest privilege of my life,” Ekong said.
“The journey may end here, but my support never will. Here’s to the next chapter.”
His statement came shortly after Italian transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealed the development on X, drawing attention to the defender’s achievements over the years.
“William Troost-Ekong has decided to retire from international football and won’t play for Nigeria again. After 83 caps, 3 medals and playing in 5 major tournaments, Troost-Ekong says goodbye to the Super Eagles,” Romano wrote on X.
Troost-Ekong, currently with Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League, was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and a Nigerian father. After featuring for Dutch youth teams, he opted to represent Nigeria at senior level, making his debut on June 13, 2015, in an AFCON qualifier against Chad.
His five-goal tally at the Africa Cup of Nations remains an unmatched record for a defender in the tournament’s history. He registered eight goals in 83 international appearances, with his last outing coming as a late substitute against Gabon on November 13.
Troost-Ekong has seen limited action under head coach Eric Chelle in recent months and did not feature in Nigeria’s crucial World Cup play-off defeat to DR Congo, a result that sealed the country’s absence from the mundial.
The centre-back has fallen behind Benjamin Fredrick in the team’s defensive hierarchy, despite being named in the provisional 54-man squad for the upcoming AFCON in Morocco. The list is expected to be pruned to 28 players before the team opens camp in Egypt on December 10.
His retirement signals the end of an era for the Super Eagles, who must now navigate the continental tournament without one of their most seasoned leaders as preparations intensify ahead of the December 21 kickoff.