AFCON Qualifier: Williams Troost-Ekong rues missed chances against Rwanda

By Saheed Afolabi

Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has expressed regret over missed opportunities in the goalless draw against Rwanda in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Kigali.

The Super Eagles were held to a stalemate despite several chances, including a controversial disallowed goal by Ademola Lookman.

Troost-Ekong praised his teammates for their resilience and performance under challenging conditions, highlighting the impact of the enthusiastic Rwandan home crowd.

“I’m proud of the team. We created a lot of chances and could have scored multiple goals,” Troost-Ekong said during the post-match press conference in Kigali.

“Despite the difficult conditions, I believe we performed well and earned a positive result.”

He noted that the energy from the home crowd provided extra motivation for the Super Eagles. “The home crowd made the game more vibrant, and we used their energy as motivation. Rwanda had a great game plan, but we could have won the game on another day.”

Looking ahead, Troost-Ekong emphasized the team’s focus on finishing strong in their upcoming match against Libya in October.

“We have two positive results so far, and we aim to secure a strong performance in the next games against Libya.”