By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria’s Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, is set to miss the team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe due to a muscle injury.
Troost-Ekong has not featured in the last two league games for his Saudi Arabian club, Al Kholood, because of the injury.
While the club has not officially disclosed the full extent of the injury, it is expected to keep the defender sidelined for an extended period.
Head coach Eric Chelle will be concerned by Troost-Ekong’s absence, adding him to a growing list of key players currently injured and doubtful for the upcoming qualifiers.
In addition to Troost-Ekong, Super Eagles squad members Semi Ajayi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Raphael Onyedika are also struggling with injuries ahead of the qualifiers.
Nigeria will face Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, March 21, and will host Zimbabwe four days later as they continue their campaign to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
