Captain of the senior national team of Nigeria William Troost-Ekong will likely not be a part of the team for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations next month according to one of the players in the team.
Ekong who has lost his starting spot to young defender Benjamin Fredrick was a bit part player at the recently concluded world cup qualifiers playoff, and after the defeat against DR Congo which cost them the ticket to represent Africa at the Intercontinental playoff he spoke with the players.
” It’s true that he made a speech in the dressing room after the game, where he said he will cheer us (team) as a fan. But he didn’t say he won’t be at the tournament and hasn’t said anything close to that since then”, a senior player in the team said.
” However he doesn’t seem to be happy with how the game against Dr Congo went and the decision of the coach before it got to penalty kicks. Maybe all of those affected him afterwards”, he sated.
He was however quick to shut down suggestions that the row over bonus, before the final game against Dr Congo played a role in the decision of the captain, with suggestions that he led the protest that made the team to boycott training.
” It’s in the media that I see a thing or two about a breakdown in relationship with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the strike. There is nothing like that where I was and if Ekong walks away from international football I don’t think it’s connected to that day”, he concluded.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
