Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has expressed his desire to finally lift the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy after coming agonizingly close in 2024. Nigeria narrowly missed out on the title, suffering a 2-1 defeat to hosts Côte d’Ivoire in the final.
Despite the disappointment, Troost-Ekong had a standout tournament, scoring three goals and winning the Player of the Tournament award. The Al Kholood (Saudi Arabia) defender, who previously won a bronze medal at AFCON 2019, is determined to go one step further in the next edition, set to be hosted in Morocco.
“I’ve been there three times now—bronze medal, silver medal—but I haven’t had the chance to win it.
That’s my ultimate goal because I know how much it means to me and to all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria,” he told talkSPORT.
Troost-Ekong admitted that winning AFCON is no easy feat, given the tough conditions and high level of competition.
“We face challenging conditions, but I’ve seen constant improvement over the past three tournaments.
The climate is very difficult, and that’s something players have to adjust to,” he explained.
He also highlighted how even top players like Mohamed Salah have acknowledged the intensity of the tournament and the difficulty of winning it. With AFCON 2025 on the horizon, Troost-Ekong will be hoping to lead Nigeria to glory and complete his medal collection with the ultimate prize.
