Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has provided insight into his strained relationship with former coach Jose Peseiro, revealing that they were not on speaking terms for months leading up to the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Troost-Ekong’s revelations shed light on the tumultuous period preceding the AFCON tournament, where he contemplated stepping away from international football due to disagreements with Peseiro. Despite the discord, Troost-Ekong emerged as the tournament’s MVP, netting three goals and solidifying his status as the highest-scoring defender in AFCON history with five goals across three editions.
Tasked with rejuvenating a team grappling with the disappointment of World Cup qualification failure, Troost-Ekong expressed concern over his treatment by the Portuguese manager, admitting to a prolonged period of silence between them.
“It resulted in us not actually speaking for a few months,” Troost-Ekong revealed in an interview. “That was the time where my pride and ego, I think maybe got the better of me. I thought about stopping, thankfully, I’ve got a good group of people around me who took me out of it.”
Reflecting on his decision to represent Nigeria despite initially featuring for The Netherlands at the youth level, Troost-Ekong acknowledged the significance of honoring his heritage and the pride he felt in donning the Super Eagles jersey.
“It made me think about my younger self and how much it meant and how proud I was to play my first game for Nigeria,” he shared. “I deserved to give my younger self a better ending. So that was the thing that changed my mind … I think my career has always been a testament of not giving up.”
Prior to his AFCON call-up, Troost-Ekong experienced a spell of absence from the national team, with his last appearance dating back to a pre-World Cup friendly against Portugal in November 2022. However, his return proved pivotal as he anchored Nigeria’s defense throughout the tournament, culminating in a second-place finish following a narrow defeat to Ivory Coast in the final.
