“My ultimate goal” — William Troost-Ekong reveals ambition for AFCON glory

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, has revealed that winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title remains his ultimate ambition as he aims to lead the Super Eagles to their fourth continental glory in the upcoming 2025 edition in Morocco.

The 29-year-old defender has already enjoyed a successful AFCON career, winning a bronze medal in his debut tournament in Egypt in 2019 and a silver medal in the most recent edition in Côte d’Ivoire, where Nigeria fell to the host nation in a 2-1 final defeat.

Troost-Ekong, who also earned the Player of the Tournament award for his standout performances in Côte d’Ivoire, has expressed his determination to achieve AFCON glory before the end of his playing career.

“I’ve been there three times now, bronze medal, silver medal, but I haven’t had the chance to win it, so that’s my ultimate goal,” Troost-Ekong said in an interview with talkSPORT.

“That’s how much it means to me and to all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria.”

Reflecting on the challenges of securing an AFCON title, Troost-Ekong acknowledged the tournament’s immense difficulty, citing the experiences of top African players like Mohamed Salah, who has yet to win the coveted title despite his stellar club career.

“For players at any level, it makes it even harder to win it,” he said. “I think that’s why you see players like Mohamed Salah and others who have gone on to win major trophies always talk about the difficulty that comes with it.”

The defender’s ambition to lift the AFCON trophy is not only personal but also symbolic of his desire to inspire the next generation of Nigerian and African footballers, many of whom look up to the Super Eagles as their role models.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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