Former Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong has given the clearest hint that he will return to the Country not as a player but as an administrator to help ‘enhance’ the game.
Ekong who called time on his international career in 2025 has suggested that he will consider vying for a position in the NFF and has charged former players to get involved.
Nigerian football has without doubt been beleaguered with a myriad of issues, the result of which among other things have been crippling financial crisis, corruption allegations, and poor standards with team management and even within the organization itself.
Ekong stressed that Nigeria could do better in the sport and insists he wants to be part of the “solution”.
‘What I would love to do now and the way I am preparing this part of my career is to try and find ways where I can be part of the solution to see Nigeria go and reach bigger heights than we have done when I’ve been a player. That has been my focus.
Ex-players must do more
He acknowledged the role of former players in the pursuit of excellence within the game, but argues that only through gaining the right education with the added experience as a player can impactful change come to Nigerian football.
‘I think for me now is the education part, because we have so many ex players that have a great understanding of the game.
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He continued: ‘I don’t think we have seen enough ex players getting involved from the top.
‘So for me in Nigerian football, it’s about finding ways that we can collaborate and enhance the federation right because we’ve been there, we’ve seen it and the generations ahead of me have done it.’
William Troost-Ekong’s international career spanned a decade where he featured at the 2016 Olympic Games, World Cup in 2018, two AFCON tournaments including the 2023 edition where he led Nigeria to a runner-up spot and was voted Player of the tournament.
He debuted for the Super Eagles in 2015, earned 83 caps and set the record for the most goals scored by a Center-half (5), in the AFCON history.
