“We’ll fight to the end for World Cup spot” – Troost-Ekong vows ahead of CAF playoffs

By Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has reaffirmed Nigeria’s determination to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pledging that the team will give everything in next month’s high-stakes CAF Play-Off Tournament in Morocco.

Nigeria booked their place in the play-offs following a commanding 4–0 win over Benin Republic in Uyo—a result that ensured the Super Eagles finished among the top four runners-up in the African qualifying group stage.

“We are quite happy to have that opportunity. It’s a long route, but it’s a route nonetheless,” Troost-Ekong said. “We would have loved to get the automatic ticket, but it didn’t happen. We take what we have, and we’ll make the best of it.”

The 30-year-old defender, who has captained Nigeria at multiple international tournaments, praised the team’s collective effort and emphasized the importance of resilience going forward.

“It was a wonderful team effort on Tuesday evening. Everyone contributed and played their part,” he noted. “If the other match had gone in our favour, we’d be holding the automatic ticket now. But that’s life. You take what you get and push forward.”

In the upcoming CAF Play-Offs, Nigeria will face Gabon in the first semi-final on Thursday, November 13. Cameroon will take on DR Congo in the second semi-final on Friday, November 14. Both matches will be played on neutral ground in Morocco.

The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in a final showdown on Sunday, November 16. The victor will then advance to the Intercontinental Play-Offs, scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico.

At that stage, six nations will compete for just two available World Cup slots. The playoff field will include: Africa’s representative (winner of the CAF Play-Off), Bolivia (CONMEBOL), New Caledonia (Oceania), the Asian play-off winner (Iraq or UAE), and two teams from CONCACAF (Jamaica, Costa Rica, or Panama).

Troost-Ekong remains confident the Super Eagles can sustain their momentum and ultimately seal their return to the global stage after missing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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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