African Football Discussion Thread Current Topic: 👉 AFCON 2025/2026

[Fiatless]

SportsSuper Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong retires from international football at 32



William Ekong has decided to retire from international football at 32. He is no longer the Super Eagles captain, and he won't be playing the AFCON.
Who will be the next Super Eagle captain? I nominate Iwobi?

https://hallmarknews.com/super-eagles-captain-william-troost-ekong-retires-from-international-football-at-32/

I thought he would have remained in the national team till after the Afcon. Surprisingly, he is leaving even when he was included in the provisional list for the Nations Cup. He has served Nigeria for close to a decade and has contributed positively to the national team. The main reason he gave for retiring is that he wants to focus on his Saudi-based club Al Kholood.

Coach Eric Chelle would have to seek for replacement. The coach might also seek counsel from senior players regarding who will be the next captain. I guess Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Victor Osimhen are some of the senior players who can be considered as his replacement.

[Ruttoshi]

I thought he would have remained in the national team till after the Afcon. Surprisingly, he is leaving even when he was included in the provisional list for the Nations Cup. He has served Nigeria for close to a decade and has contributed positively to the national team. The main reason he gave for retiring is that he wants to focus on his Saudi-based club Al Kholood.

Coach Eric Chelle would have to seek for replacement. The coach might also seek counsel from senior players regarding who will be the next captain. I guess Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Victor Osimhen are some of the senior players who can be considered as his replacement.

The Super Eagle has players that can take over the captain position in the team. It's left for the coach to decide that. William Ekong has already sacrificed a lot for the national team and I respect his decision to retire from the national team and focus more on playing for his club.

The Super Eagles performance in world qualifiers was poor if not, I don't think that William Ekong would have retired now because he would love to play in the world cup assuming Nigeria qualified.

[snipie]

SportsSuper Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong retires from international football at 32
...
William Ekong has decided to retire from international football at 32. He is no longer the Super Eagles captain, and he won't be playing the AFCON.
Who will be the next Super Eagle captain? I nominate Iwobi?

I suppose Troost-Ekong decided to retire because he will be quite old in the next World Cup, 36-37 years old, so his performance will no longer be the same as now, and because he felt the heavy responsibility of losing the ticket to pass to the North America World Cup. Nigeria isn't failing for the first time to qualify for the World Cup and this makes them feeling the pressure of their people since it becomes a habit...
I think Osimhen might be another candidate for the captain.

[Spaceman1000$]

SportsSuper Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong retires from international football at 32



William Ekong has decided to retire from international football at 32. He is no longer the Super Eagles captain, and he won't be playing the AFCON.
Who will be the next Super Eagle captain? I nominate Iwobi?

https://hallmarknews.com/super-eagles-captain-william-troost-ekong-retires-from-international-football-at-32/

I thought he would have remained in the national team till after the Afcon. Surprisingly, he is leaving even when he was included in the provisional list for the Nations Cup. He has served Nigeria for close to a decade and has contributed positively to the national team. The main reason he gave for retiring is that he wants to focus on his Saudi-based club Al Kholood.

Coach Eric Chelle would have to seek for replacement. The coach might also seek counsel from senior players regarding who will be the next captain. I guess Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Victor Osimhen are some of the senior players who can be considered as his replacement.

William Ekong's retirement is coming as a suprise to me, I think maybe is not far fetched from the last incident of him initiating a boycott of training if their allowance are not paid during their last playoff match, or probably he is triggered by the fact that they couldn't qualify for the World Cup, but whatever reason that made him to take such decision would be very strong.

Who would be the next captain shouldn't be an issue, I've been watching the super Eagles for the last 25 years, and I know that it's usually based on seniority except maybe they've changed the rules but as far as I can recall, is usually centered on the most senior player of team.

[Wiwo]

I thought he would have remained in the national team till after the Afcon. Surprisingly, he is leaving even when he was included in the provisional list for the Nations Cup. He has served Nigeria for close to a decade and has contributed positively to the national team. The main reason he gave for retiring is that he wants to focus on his Saudi-based club Al Kholood.

Coach Eric Chelle would have to seek for replacement. The coach might also seek counsel from senior players regarding who will be the next captain. I guess Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Victor Osimhen are some of the senior players who can be considered as his replacement.

The Super Eagle has players that can take over the captain position in the team. It's left for the coach to decide that. William Ekong has already sacrificed a lot for the national team and I respect his decision to retire from the national team and focus more on playing for his club.

The Super Eagles performance in world qualifiers was poor if not, I don't think that William Ekong would have retired now because he would love to play in the world cup assuming Nigeria qualified.

Supper Eagles performance in the last world cup qualifier round was outrightly poor, no doubt but for any player to retire fromnthe national team and going on to focus on club is somewhat a disappointing realities that we all shouldn't encourage regardless of the contributions of the said players.

What is Williams Ekong justification to leave the supper Eagles his national team to go on to club side when he the player know the current state of the national team and needed all the old hand to get supper on their feet again as the eagle of Africa.

[igebotz]

SportsSuper Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong retires from international football at 32
...
William Ekong has decided to retire from international football at 32. He is no longer the Super Eagles captain, and he won't be playing the AFCON.
Who will be the next Super Eagle captain? I nominate Iwobi?

I suppose Troost-Ekong decided to retire because he will be quite old in the next World Cup, 36-37 years old, so his performance will no longer be the same as now, and because he felt the heavy responsibility of losing the ticket to pass to the North America World Cup. Nigeria isn't failing for the first time to qualify for the World Cup and this makes them feeling the pressure of their people since it becomes a habit...
I think Osimhen might be another candidate for the captain.

No, he was already frozen out of the team after he led a protest against the NFF for the team unpaid bonuses before the game against Benin Republic. The NFF wanted to remove him as the captain, the coach didn't feature him in our last two important games- he's saving his dignity and this is how to do it.

Every now and then we see our players going into early retirement because of NFF corruption and disrespect towards our players.

[SatoPrincess]

SportsSuper Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong retires from international football at 32



William Ekong has decided to retire from international football at 32. He is no longer the Super Eagles captain, and he won't be playing the AFCON.
Who will be the next Super Eagle captain? I nominate Iwobi?

https://hallmarknews.com/super-eagles-captain-william-troost-ekong-retires-from-international-football-at-32/

Iwobi? Seems to me like you’re trying to set Iwobi for drags. He’s an underperforming player in the national team, he’s never been team leader and lacks the attributes of one. It would be chaotic if Iwobi is made the captain. They should give it to Osimhen. He’s the most hardworking and passionate player on the team.

[Mr Reporter]

SportsSuper Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong retires from international football at 32



William Ekong has decided to retire from international football at 32. He is no longer the Super Eagles captain, and he won't be playing the AFCON.
Who will be the next Super Eagle captain? I nominate Iwobi?

https://hallmarknews.com/super-eagles-captain-william-troost-ekong-retires-from-international-football-at-32/

I thought he would have remained in the national team till after the Afcon. Surprisingly, he is leaving even when he was included in the provisional list for the Nations Cup. He has served Nigeria for close to a decade and has contributed positively to the national team. The main reason he gave for retiring is that he wants to focus on his Saudi-based club Al Kholood.

Coach Eric Chelle would have to seek for replacement. The coach might also seek counsel from senior players regarding who will be the next captain. I guess Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Victor Osimhen are some of the senior players who can be considered as his replacement.

Wow, that’s a shocker After almost a decade in the green‑and‑white, he’s hanging up his boots to focus on Al Kholood in Saudi Arabia. Coach Eric Chelle will definitely feel the gap, both on the field and in the locker room. When it comes to picking a new captain, the senior squad has some heavy hitters the midfield anchor, known for his leadership and composure under pressure.

[Justbillywitt]

SportsSuper Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong retires from international football at 32



William Ekong has decided to retire from international football at 32. He is no longer the Super Eagles captain, and he won't be playing the AFCON.
Who will be the next Super Eagle captain? I nominate Iwobi?

https://hallmarknews.com/super-eagles-captain-william-troost-ekong-retires-from-international-football-at-32/

We will greatly miss our captain, I wished he would have continued with the super eagles for the AFCON that's just starting in few weeks. But he knows what best for him and I wish him well for the rest of his club career. He really served the super eagles well and I hope the team will adapt without him. As for the next captain I will like the team to give it to a player who is dedicated to the team and gives his all when it comes to international duties. Victor Osimhen is the perfect person to be the captain of the eagles.

[CryptSafe]

SportsSuper Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong retires from international football at 32
...
William Ekong has decided to retire from international football at 32. He is no longer the Super Eagles captain, and he won't be playing the AFCON.
Who will be the next Super Eagle captain? I nominate Iwobi?

I suppose Troost-Ekong decided to retire because he will be quite old in the next World Cup, 36-37 years old, so his performance will no longer be the same as now, and because he felt the heavy responsibility of losing the ticket to pass to the North America World Cup. Nigeria isn't failing for the first time to qualify for the World Cup and this makes them feeling the pressure of their people since it becomes a habit...
I think Osimhen might be another candidate for the captain.

No, he was already frozen out of the team after he led a protest against the NFF for the team unpaid bonuses before the game against Benin Republic. The NFF wanted to remove him as the captain, the coach didn't feature him in our last two important games- he's saving his dignity and this is how to do it.

Every now and then we see our players going into early retirement because of NFF corruption and disrespect towards our players.

What he did is just the best thing to save himself from some embarrassment from the NFF and the coach. He has done well in his time as the captain of the Super Eagles. Let him focus on his career out there as a professional footballer rather than wasting his time with the NFF, which is so corrupt and compromised.

[Rruchi man]

Every now and then we see our players going into early retirement because of NFF corruption and disrespect towards our players.

The big question to ask is "Who is next?" Which Super Eagles player do you think will be the next to retire? Because it is certain that a couple of players will follow, and we will not be having the same golden team as we have now in a couple of months.

I don't think there will be changes in our NFF because there is no one to hold them accountable; our government, which maybe should have looked into it, is also filled with corrupt politicians and officials, so they will look away.

[Agbamoni]

The big question to ask is "Who is next?" Which Super Eagles player do you think will be the next to retire? Because it is certain that a couple of players will follow, and we will not be having the same golden team as we have now in a couple of months.

I don't think there will be changes in our NFF because there is no one to hold them accountable; our government, which maybe should have looked into it, is also filled with corrupt politicians and officials, so they will look away.

What Golden team are you talking about? The same Golden team that couldn't qualify for the World Cup for consecutive 8 years. We need purging in that team; the NFF should recruit home-based players. As for who will retire next, I think age plays a role as well. Troost Ekong retired to save his dignity due to his age, corruption of the NFF, and game time in the Super Eagles squad. I don't think anyone will retire soon.

[Rruchi man]

The big question to ask is "Who is next?" Which Super Eagles player do you think will be the next to retire? Because it is certain that a couple of players will follow, and we will not be having the same golden team as we have now in a couple of months.

I don't think there will be changes in our NFF because there is no one to hold them accountable; our government, which maybe should have looked into it, is also filled with corrupt politicians and officials, so they will look away.

What Golden team are you talking about? 

The Golden team with the likes of Osimhen, Lookman, Iwobi, Aina, Chukwueze, Boniface, and the rest of them who are doing very well for their respective clubs.

the NFF should recruit home-based players.

Are you still banking on the corrupt NFF? Do you think recruiting home-based players will directly and automatically solve our challenges?

By now you should know that the NFF is the major problem, not the players in our team. If the NFF decides to bring in home-based players and still subject them to poor arrangements due to their corruption, they still will not perform.

[Agbamoni]

The Golden team with the likes of Osimhen, Lookman, Iwobi, Aina, Chukwueze, Boniface, and the rest of them who are doing very well for their respective clubs.

Who cares about how they perform in their domestic club? They are making history for themselves, not for the country. What we Nigerian wants is for them to win an international trophy or qualify for the World Cup. That's all. I want to see the same Golden performance I see every week in their domestic league in the upcoming AFCON that is about to start.

[Spaceman1000$]

Every now and then we see our players going into early retirement because of NFF corruption and disrespect towards our players.

The big question to ask is "Who is next?" Which Super Eagles player do you think will be the next to retire? Because it is certain that a couple of players will follow, and we will not be having the same golden team as we have now in a couple of months.

I don't think there will be changes in our NFF because there is no one to hold them accountable; our government, which maybe should have looked into it, is also filled with corrupt politicians and officials, so they will look away.

The last time the Super Eagles had a golden team was in 2013 when we won the AFCON and I believe all the players that were in that team had all probably retired or no longer invited to the super Eagles, so what we have now is literally not a golden team.
NFF board will last till the expiration of the current board because it is being run on a tenured basis which is every four years or five thereabout, until another election and new board members are elected, we will have to manage the current board members.

[Berry2d]

The Golden team with the likes of Osimhen, Lookman, Iwobi, Aina, Chukwueze, Boniface, and the rest of them who are doing very well for their respective clubs.

Who cares about how they perform in their domestic club? They are making history for themselves, not for the country. What we Nigerian wants is for them to win an international trophy or qualify for the World Cup. That's all. I want to see the same Golden performance I see every week in their domestic league in the upcoming AFCON that is about to start.

We know the super eagles of Nigeria are not impressive in there performance when it comes to international duties and offers more while in there league competitions and it calls for questioning but I think they should be treated the way others treats there's because while playing for Nigeria they usually put there best but why they don't get results equivalent to there efforts is what we can't tell. All they need from us is our massive support, prayers and changes from the Nigeria football federation, especially that of the NFF requirs serious attention because I think the problem is from there.

[Franctoshi]

Every now and then we see our players going into early retirement because of NFF corruption and disrespect towards our players.

The big question to ask is "Who is next?" Which Super Eagles player do you think will be the next to retire? Because it is certain that a couple of players will follow, and we will not be having the same golden team as we have now in a couple of months.

I don't think there will be changes in our NFF because there is no one to hold them accountable; our government, which maybe should have looked into it, is also filled with corrupt politicians and officials, so they will look away.

The last time the Super Eagles had a golden team was in 2013 when we won the AFCON and I believe all the players that were in that team had all probably retired or no longer invited to the super Eagles, so what we have now is literally not a golden team.
NFF board will last till the expiration of the current board because it is being run on a tenured basis which is every four years or five thereabout, until another election and new board members are elected, we will have to manage the current board members.

The thing is that, is seems that there's an agenda to cripple the dreams of people who found their talent in football, because since there's huge money to earn as a footballer and from footballing, the so called politicians has actually brought their corrupt minds down to football to discourage if youths who are football lovers from participating and to have the chance to showcase their talents to the world by not treating them they way should have my they're supposed. Just the way they're not creating jobs for the youths or enabling environment for them to thrive.

[Rruchi man]

The Golden team with the likes of Osimhen, Lookman, Iwobi, Aina, Chukwueze, Boniface, and the rest of them who are doing very well for their respective clubs.

Who cares about how they perform in their domestic club? They are making history for themselves, not for the country. What we Nigerian wants is for them to win an international trophy or qualify for the World Cup. That's all. I want to see the same Golden performance I see every week in their domestic league in the upcoming AFCON that is about to start.

Which player do you think will put in their best for a country that will owe them benefits and incentives? You cannot expect a golden performance from these players when they are unhappy.

That is the major problem for this team; they will never put in their best knowing that the NFF is unsupportive and corrupt.

If you keep expecting something spectacular from these boys without addressing the issue of the NFF, you are simply saying they should keep putting in their best, ignoring the excesses of the NFF, which puts you in support of the NFF and their corruption. It will always be difficult to function in a corrupt system.

[SuperBitMan]

The Golden team with the likes of Osimhen, Lookman, Iwobi, Aina, Chukwueze, Boniface, and the rest of them who are doing very well for their respective clubs.

Who cares about how they perform in their domestic club? They are making history for themselves, not for the country. What we Nigerian wants is for them to win an international trophy or qualify for the World Cup. That's all. I want to see the same Golden performance I see every week in their domestic league in the upcoming AFCON that is about to start.

Sometimes you don't have to blame this players I remember sometime ago when they were playing the world cup qualifiers this players were agitating for NFF to pay them there salaries and you know what they have been owing them for a very long time so how do you think this players we perform very well for their country knowing fully well that the country is not even concerned about them or don't even care about them this is one of the challenges Nigerian football is facing, believe me if the government is treating this players very well they will put in their best to make sure that they deliver, if this players eventually get injury that can prevent them from playing anymore you will see how the Nigerian government will treat them I have seen some players that are now retired and are suffering and till date the Nigeria government is still owing them, if I'm playing for Nigeria and they are not treating me well I will not put in my best and that is it.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

Every now and then we see our players going into early retirement because of NFF corruption and disrespect towards our players.

The big question to ask is "Who is next?" Which Super Eagles player do you think will be the next to retire? Because it is certain that a couple of players will follow, and we will not be having the same golden team as we have now in a couple of months.

I don't think there will be changes in our NFF because there is no one to hold them accountable; our government, which maybe should have looked into it, is also filled with corrupt politicians and officials, so they will look away.

The last time the Super Eagles had a golden team was in 2013 when we won the AFCON and I believe all the players that were in that team had all probably retired or no longer invited to the super Eagles, so what we have now is literally not a golden team.
NFF board will last till the expiration of the current board because it is being run on a tenured basis which is every four years or five thereabout, until another election and new board members are elected, we will have to manage the current board members.

The thing is that, is seems that there's an agenda to cripple the dreams of people who found their talent in football, because since there's huge money to earn as a footballer and from footballing, the so called politicians has actually brought their corrupt minds down to football to discourage if youths who are football lovers from participating and to have the chance to showcase their talents to the world by not treating them they way should have my they're supposed. Just the way they're not creating jobs for the youths or enabling environment for them to thrive.

This is not a good enough excuse for any one who found his or her talent in football to stop such one from succeeding, any body or youth who is super talented in football and feels the Nigerian government and environment isnt giving them to opportunity to showcase their talent to the world and open them up to opportunities can simply get a visa and travel to a nearby country with better government and better chances of showcasing their talent in football..

There are several Nigerians who are playing football for league and teams in other countries that we do not know, they are there making a good life for themselves.
Politicians and their corrupt practices should never been seen or used as an excuse to why one is not succeeding their any choose field or career, because our individual decision to succeed is always in our individual hands and not the politicians, they can actually make things a bit difficult, but delayed is not denied.