On Thursday, December 4th, 2025, William Troost-Ekong officially announced that he is retiring from the Super Eagles, just a few weeks before AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
Ekong had been named in Nigeria’s 55-man preliminary squad, but he decided to pull out after earning 83 caps for the three-time African champions since his debut against Chad on June 13, 2015.
Before choosing to play for Nigeria, Ekong represented the Netherlands at U19, U20 and U23 levels.
Reports from Sports Vanguard had already hinted at his retirement after the Super Eagles were knocked out by DR Congo in the African World Cup playoffs in Morocco. That defeat ended many hopes — including Ekong’s dream of leading Nigeria to the World Cup again. He had previously played at the Russia 2018 World Cup, which he described as an unforgettable experience.
Ekong always wanted to captain Nigeria to another World Cup, but the failure to qualify played a major role in his decision to step away.
According to a team source, Ekong was also unhappy with his new role on the bench. With younger defenders emerging, he was no longer a certain starter, and he felt he couldn’t influence games the way he used to. For a player known for leading from the front, this decline in playing time was difficult.
Facing an uncertain role at AFCON 2025, especially after performing so well at the last AFCON in Ivory Coast, Ekong felt it was the right moment to retire. The source added that things might have been different if Nigeria had qualified for the World Cup.
