Why I chose Nigeria over the Netherlands – Troost-Ekong

The Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has revealed that a phone call from late coach Stephen Keshi and the prospect of international football at age 21 influenced his decision to represent Nigeria instead of his country of birth, the Netherlands.

The Al-Kholood defender, speaking on the Sports Afterparty Podcast, explained that the opportunity to play for Nigeria came at a crucial point in his career.

“Just at the start of the season, I had played for the Dutch U19 and U20 squads, but there was no real perspective yet for the first team,” Troost-Ekong said.

“The choice was between trying to progress and later in my career maybe have a chance to play for the Netherlands or have a chance now to play for the Super Eagles, who were kind of going through a transition stage where a lot of their defenders at that time were a little bit older, so I knew that they wanted to make some changes there.”

The 30-year-old defender has become one of Nigeria’s most consistent performers since making his debut 10 years ago, establishing himself as a key figure in the team before assuming the captaincy on an interim basis three years ago at AFCON 2021.

According to IFFHS, the Harlem-born holds the record for most goals by a defender at AFCON with five, including three in a single tournament. His performances have earned him a nomination for the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award after winning the Best Player award at AFCON 2023.

Meanwhile, ahead of Thursday’s (today) 2025 AFCON qualifier against Benin Republic in Ivory Coast, Troost-Ekong has dismissed concerns about complacency despite Nigeria needing just a point to qualify for the tournament in Morocco.

“The match is not going to be an easy one because the Beninoise are also chasing a ticket to the final tournament. However, our objective is clear: three points on the night,” he told NFF TV on Tuesday.

The game will be played at the Stade Houphouet Boigny, where Benin stunned Nigeria 2-1 in the 2026 World Cup qualifier earlier this year, though the Eagles also have fond memories of the venue from their AFCON 2023 campaign.

Troost-Ekong is one of several dual-nationality players recruited by the Nigeria Football Federation in the past 15 years, a strategy that has helped strengthen the national team with talents from the diaspora.