NFF to Honour William Troost-Ekong with Ceremonial Send-Off After AFCON 2025

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed plans to organise a ceremonial send-off in honour of former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong following the conclusion of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

AFCON 2025, which kicked off on Sunday night, will run until January 18, 2026. The NFF disclosed that all celebrations and formal recognition of Troost-Ekong’s contributions to Nigerian football will take place after the tournament, as the federation’s current focus remains on the Super Eagles’ campaign.

Speaking exclusively to BSN Sports, NFF General Secretary Sanusi Mohammed paid glowing tribute to the retired defender, describing him as one of Nigeria’s finest servants in the modern era.

“William Troost-Ekong has done remarkably well for Nigeria and is deeply appreciated by the Nigeria Football Federation, the National Sports Commission, the Federal Government, and indeed all Nigerians for his immense contributions to the national team,” Sanusi said.

He emphasised that while plans are in place, the federation is prioritising the ongoing tournament.

“Our focus right now is on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and ensuring the Super Eagles have a successful outing. Once the tournament is concluded, we will sit down and carefully plan a befitting ceremonial send-off for the legend,” he added.

Troost-Ekong, 32, captained Nigeria to a silver medal at the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, where the Super Eagles narrowly lost 2–1 to the hosts in the final. Despite the defeat, he emerged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament and set a historic record by scoring five goals, the highest tally ever by a defender in AFCON history.

Born to a Nigerian father and a Dutch mother, Troost-Ekong was eligible to represent both the Netherlands and Nigeria at international level. He chose Nigeria and made his Super Eagles debut in June 2015, playing the full 90 minutes in an AFCON qualifier against Chad.

Over the course of his international career, he earned over 80 caps, becoming a defensive mainstay and a respected leader both on and off the pitch.

On December 4, 2025, Troost-Ekong officially announced his retirement from international football via his Instagram page. His decision was met with widespread admiration from Nigerians, who hailed his passion, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to representing Africa’s most populous nation.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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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