William Troost-Ekong, captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, has issued a bold statement ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), declaring that Nigeria has what it takes to dominate the competition.
Fresh off his MVP performance at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, where he played through a painful hamstring injury and led Nigeria to the final, Ekong is determined to lead his team to victory in Morocco later this year.
“We’re in Group C with tough teams like Uganda, Tanzania, and Tunisia,” said Ekong in an exclusive interview with NFF Media.
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“But there’s no such thing as an easy game in Africa. We respect all our opponents, but I firmly believe that we have everything it takes to get out of this group and go all the way this time.”
Ekong, who earned the MVP award at the 2023 tournament, reflected on Nigeria’s growth and their bitter-sweet exit in Ivory Coast.
“We’ve learned so much from the last AFCON. This time, we’ll be more prepared and ready for every challenge,” he said, exuding confidence.
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“We’ve got the experience, and we’ll be working hard all year to make sure everyone is fit and ready. The whole team is excited for the new coach, Eric Chelle, and what lies ahead.”
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers kicking off in March, Ekong is already focused on leading the Super Eagles to success under Chelle’s guidance.
“It’s going to be an exciting year, and I’m thrilled with the AFCON draw. We’re ready to make history and bring home the trophy.”
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Ekong had a tremendous 2023/2024 season winning the Greek Super League with PAOK before making a mega move to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Kholood.