Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has announced his retirement from international football, drawing the curtain on a decade-long career with Nigeria’s senior men’s team.
The 32-year-old defender revealed his decision in a video posted on Instagram on Thursday, saying it was time to “move on to the next chapter” of his life and career.
“Today, I am announcing my retirement from international football,” he said, adding that his journey with the national team “ends here.”
Troost-Ekong expressed pride in having contributed to a generation of players who proved that “it is possible to come home to play and represent our beloved nation.” He also stated that the time had come to hand over “the responsibility and the captaincy” to the next set of players.
His announcement came just two days after he was named in Eric Chelle’s 54-man provisional list for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled to kick off in Morocco on December 21.
Born in the Netherlands, Troost-Ekong represented the Dutch youth teams before committing to Nigeria. He made his senior debut for the Super Eagles in 2015 during an AFCON qualifier against Chad and went on to become one of the team’s most prominent leaders.
