Osimhen, Iwobi lead tributes as Troost-Ekong retires from international football

Victor Osimhen and Alex Iwobi have paid warm tributes to Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong following the defender’s decision to retire from international duty,  Sport360NG reports.

Troost-Ekong, 32, announced his retirement on Thursday, bringing an end to a distinguished 10-year spell with Nigeria in which he earned 83 caps and scored eight goals. His decision comes just days before the Super Eagles kick off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in Morocco.

In a personal statement, the defender expressed pride and gratitude for his time with the national team.
“Honoured. Grateful. Forever a Super Eagle. Playing for Nigeria has been the greatest privilege of my life. The journey may end here, but my support never will,” he wrote. “Here’s to the next chapter.”

Osimhen, who rose through the national team while playing alongside Troost-Ekong, described the departing captain as an inspiration.
“It’s been an honour sharing the pitch with you, skippo,” the striker said on social media. “Your guidance, humility, and professionalism pushed all of us to be better. Thank you for everything you’ve given to the team and to Nigeria. Wishing you greatness ahead. Legend forever.”

Iwobi also shared his admiration, telling SportyTV’s Kelechi that the news hit the squad hard.
“It is a sad one for us because he is a big part of the team,” the Fulham midfielder said. “He’s a brother. He has helped Nigeria and he has helped me.”

Although Troost-Ekong featured less frequently toward the final phase of his international career, Iwobi stressed that his influence remained vital.
“Even when he wasn’t playing as much as he would like, his leadership, his voice, and the way he brought the team together were always important. He will be very missed,” he added.

Born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and Nigerian father, Troost-Ekong represented the Netherlands at youth level before committing to Nigeria. He made his senior debut on 13 June 2015 in an AFCON qualifier against Chad.

His five goals at the Africa Cup of Nations remain the highest tally by any defender in the tournament’s history. His final appearance for Nigeria came on 13 November, when he featured as a late substitute against Gabon.