By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has marked his 10th anniversary with the Nigerian national football team with an emotional tribute to the late Stephen Keshi, the coach who gave him his first international cap.
The milestone came a day after Ekong led Nigeria to a 1-1 draw against Russia in an international friendly played in Moscow on Thursday, June 6, 2025.
“10 YEARS REPRESENTING 13.06.2015 – 06.06.2025,” Ekong wrote on social media, reflecting on his decade-long journey with the Super Eagles.
“I will never forget the Big Boss Stephen Keshi for believing in me that day for my debut in Kaduna,” he added.
Ekong, who was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, stressed his achievements over the past ten years: “79 caps, 3 medals, 5 major tournaments later, my biggest pride is to be the captain of this nation and team.”
He concluded his message with a note of encouragement: “No dream is ever too big. This is my purpose, and we will continue to strive every day to be better. GRATEFUL!”
The central defender’s next major assignment will be leading Nigeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
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.
