Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has expressed confidence ahead of Nigeria’s CAF World Cup playoffs final against DR Congo on Sunday, stressing that the team is fully prepared for another high-stakes battle in Morocco.
Troost-Ekong, who came off the bench in Nigeria’s 4-1 semifinal win over Gabon, played a key role in helping the Super Eagles see out the victory. Ndidi captained the side from the start in that game, and with concerns raised over his eligibility for the final due to a yellow card, Troost-Ekong reassured fans that the midfielder is available for selection.
“I believe it’s true that Wilfred can play tomorrow which everyone was happy about. We also understand what it will mean for any player on a yellow card for the next game, so it’s good to know,” he said.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s decisive clash, the skipper spoke about the team’s hunger as they chase a place in the Intercontinental playoffs.
More Read
“The boys are happy to be here competing on Sunday, there’s no other motivation we need, we all want to go to the World Cup. It’s going to be a difficult game, Congo also did well to get to the final so we’re looking forward to that.”
Troost-Ekong praised the team’s handling of Gabon’s counter-attacking threat in the semifinal and expects a different type of challenge against DR Congo.
“Every game brings a new challenge. For Gabon I didn’t think they were just low-block, they were also dangerous on the counter attack which the boys dealt really well with,” he said.
“With Congo I know one or two players in their team. I know they’re a good playing side, so it’s going to be a different challenge. I don’t think you can compare teams in Africa, so we have to adapt. At the same time, we’re starting to create a clear identity and that’s something we want to continue to build on, and it will be an interesting game on Sunday for sure.”
The centre-back added that Nigeria’s emphatic semifinal performance should serve as another statement of intent.
“The last game we sent a really clear message, and we’re hoping to do the same now. We’re not trying to prove anything to anyone, we wanna prove to ourselves, we wanna be at the World Cup. That’s the real focus.”
Reflecting on the team’s progress, Troost-Ekong believes the Super Eagles have grown stronger under pressure and are mentally primed for the decisive encounter.
“I think our team has grown over the last month, we’ve been under consistent pressure, but everytime we come together I feel like the boys are getting more comfortable with that pressure,” he said.
“The focus has always been on this game because on Sunday if we don’t get the result we want, then Thursday will be a nice moment but it will mean nothing. I think the team has grown so we’re ready for a high pressure moment because that’s what we’ve been under since earlier this year.”
The final will kick off at 8pm Nigerian time at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah, with the winner advancing to the Inter-confederations playoffs scheduled for March 2026.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
