Troost Ekong dismisses Zimbabwe’s $150,000 incentive, vows Nigeria will prevail

By Dayo Awoniyi

Nigeria acting captain William Troost-Ekong has brushed aside Zimbabwe’s $150,000 cash incentive, insisting that it will not distract Nigeria from their goal of securing victory in their upcoming World Cup qualifier.

His comments come in the wake of reports that Zimbabwe’s government has promised a $150,000 reward to the Warriors if they manage to defeat Nigeria in Uyo.

Despite the financial motivation, Ekong is unwavering in his belief that Nigeria’s drive to qualify for the FIFA World Cup will be the deciding factor in the match.

“We’ve heard about the incentive for the Zimbabweans to come and get a result, but that won’t affect us. Our biggest motivation is our own ambition to play at the FIFA World Cup,” Ekong stated.

The defender reiterated the determination of the current crop of players, many of whom are eager to make their World Cup debut.

“Apart from myself, Alex Iwobi, and maybe a couple of others who played in 2018, this generation is hungry to compete at the highest level. We want to make Nigeria proud and, at the same time, do ourselves proud,” he added.