‘Why I choose Nigeria over Netherlands’

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has shed light on his decision to switch national allegiance from the Netherlands to Nigeria, SportsRation reports.

Ekong, who joined the Nigeria national team in 2015, credits a conversation with legendary Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi as a pivotal moment in his career.

He made his debut for Nigeria during an AFCON qualifying match against Chad, where he played the full 90 minutes. His leadership led the team to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, earning him the TotalEnergies Best Performer award and a place on the Team of the Tournament.

In a recent interview on The Sports Afterparty Podcast, Troost-Ekong discussed his choice to represent Nigeria over the Netherlands.

He revealed, “I made this decision early in my career when I was 20. Having just wrapped up a breakthrough season in the Netherlands, I received a call from Stephen Keshi, the then-coach.

I was quite surprised he reached out to me.” At that time, he had just participated in the Dutch U19 and U20 teams, with no clear path to the senior squad. “When I received that call, it felt different compared to other players like Olise, who had multiple national options.

For me, Nigeria was my only tangible choice,” he explained. Troost-Ekong noted that the decision was a matter of choosing between the uncertain future of potentially playing for the Netherlands or seizing the immediate opportunity with the Super Eagles, who were in a transitional phase with older defenders.

“I quickly said yes,” he recalled, “because becoming an international at 21 seemed like a great opportunity that could benefit my career if I performed well.”