Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has disclosed that a discord with former Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro.
The former Watford defender revealed that the rift almost jeopardized his spot in Nigeria’s squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Troost-Ekong found himself on the bench during Nigeria’s final AFCON 2023 qualifying match against Sao Tome and Principe in September. Following this, he was left out of the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lesotho and Zimbabwe the following month.
Reports indicate that during this rift with Coach Jose Peseiro, Troost-Ekong was also omitted from the squad for the international friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique.
Despite the setbacks, Ekong emerged as a key player for the Super Eagles in Cote d’Ivoire, scoring three goals and clinching the Player of the Tournament title.
"[It] resulted in us not actually speaking for a few months," Troost-Ekong revealed to CNN World Sport. "That was the time where my pride and ego, I think maybe got the better of me. I thought about stopping."
Fortunately, he credited the support of his inner circle for pulling him through: "[It] made me think about my younger self and how much it meant and how proud I was to play my first game [for Nigeria]."
He continued, reflecting on his journey: "I deserved to give my younger self a better ending. So that was the thing that changed my mind… I think my career has always been a testament of not giving up."
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