William Troost-Ekong Pays Tribute to Late Stephen Keshi 10 Years After His Super Eagles Debut

• William Troost-Ekong captained the Super Eagles of Nigeria to a 1-1 draw against Russia in Moscow
• It has been 10 years since Ekong made his debut after choosing to represent Nigeria over the Netherlands
• The captain paid tribute to former manager, late Stephen Keshi, who handed him his debut in 2015

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong celebrated 10 years since his Super Eagles debut and paid tribute to the former Stephen Keshi, who handed him his debut.

Ekong was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, before making the decision to represent Nigeria at the age of 21, which he is eligible to play for through his father.

He made his Super Eagles debut on June 13, 2015, against Chad in Kaduna during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers match under the late Stephen Keshi.

Ekong pays tribute to Keshi

Ekong took to the field for the 79th time as a Super Eagles player yesterday when Nigeria faced Russia in an international friendly at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

He played the full 90 minutes as Nigeria came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against their hosts. Afterwards, he shared a post on his X page, celebrating his milestone.

He paid special tribute to the late Stephen Keshi, who was the Super Eagles boss at the time of his debut for the opportunity.

“10 YEARS REPRESENTING 🇳🇬 13.06.2015 - 06.06.2025 I will never forget the ‘Big Boss’ Stephen Keshi for believing in me to make my debut in Kaduna that day a decade ago,” he wrote on X.

“79 caps, 5 major tournaments, 3 medals later. It is my biggest pride to be the captain of this nation & team.

“No dream is ever too big. This is my purpose, and I will continue to strive to be better every day. GRATEFUL!”

Ekong’s Super Eagles career

The Saudi-based defender has played for the Nigerian national team 79 times in 10 years after making his debut in 2015, also playing six times for the Olympics team.

According to Transfermarkt, 37 of his 79 appearances have been with the captain's armband, having first worn it during an international friendly against Poland in 2018.

He has featured at five international tournaments, including three AFCONs in 2019, 2021 and 2023. He also featured in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, one of the three current stars who have played at a World Cup.

He has seven goals for the national team, five of which came at AFCONs, a record for most goals at the tournament for a defender. He was named the best player at the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast, during which he scored three goals.

How Ekong adapted to Nigeria.

Legit.ng previously reported how Ekong adapted to Nigeria after becoming the national team captain years after switching his allegiance from the Netherlands.

The 31-year-old admitted that he spent his childhood visiting the country, and it helped instil the culture and leadership in him, making it easy when he became captain.

Source: Legit.ng