William Troost-Ekong has paid tribute to the late Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi for handing him his first international cap, as he celebrates a decade of service to the Nigerian national team.
The Al-Kholood defender made his debut for the Super Eagles on June 13, 2015, in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad—a match Nigeria won despite being reduced to 10 men after Ogenyi Onazi was sent off in the 79th minute.
That debut in Kaduna marked the beginning of a strong bond between the Dutch-born defender and Nigeria. In the ten years since, Troost-Ekong has earned 79 caps, featured in five major tournaments, and proudly captained the national team at the 2023 AFCON, where he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Taking to social media to commemorate the milestone, Troost-Ekong expressed his gratitude and pride:
“10 years representing Nigeria. 13.06.2015 – 06.06.2025,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“I will never forget the ‘Big Boss’ Stephen Keshi for believing in me to make my debut in Kaduna that day a decade ago. 79 caps, 5 major tournaments, 3 medals later. It is my biggest pride to be the captain of this nation and team.”
Troost-Ekong has represented Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments—2019, 2021, and 2023—scoring five goals along the way.
Before switching allegiance to Nigeria, he had previously played for the Netherlands at the U-19 and U-20 levels.
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