By: Monsurah Olatunji
Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has expressed confidence in the tactical adaptability of the Super Eagles ahead of their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe on Tuesday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
The Super Eagles will face Michael Nees’ Warriors in the sixth matchday of the qualifiers, with both teams eyeing crucial points for their World Cup hopes.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Monday evening, Troost-Ekong praised the high level of experience and intelligence within the squad.
“We’ve got a lot of intelligent players who play at a high level,” Troost-Ekong said.
“They’re used to changing tactics, so it’s not like we need to spell out how to play football.”
The Nigeria captain went on to underline the squad’s tactical flexibility, referencing the team’s ability to adapt to different styles of play.
“The coach said before that we have a lot of quality in the team. And we saw that in the last game. So it’s not trying to explain to players how they need to play football,” he added.
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.
