AFCON 2025: Super Eagles captain Troost-Ekong retires from the team as FIFA insist on December 15 for players’ release

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has confirmed his retirement from international football after a decade with the Super Eagles, announcing the decision in an emotional statement on Thursday.

Writing on Instagram, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent Nigeria, describing it as the greatest privilege of his career and affirming that while his journey on the pitch has ended, his support for the team will continue as he looks forward to a new chapter.

“Honoured. Grateful. Forever a Super Eagle. Playing for Nigeria has been the greatest privilege of my life,” Ekong said.

“The journey may end here, but my support never will. Here’s to the next chapter.”

His confirmation came minutes after football transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano disclosed the development.

“William Troost-Ekong has decided to retire from international football and won’t play for Nigeria again. After 83 caps, 3 medals and playing in 5 major tournaments, Troost-Ekong says goodbye to the Super Eagles,” Romano wrote on X.

Troost-Ekong, who plays for Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League, was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and Nigerian father.

After representing the Netherlands at the youth level, he committed his senior international future to Nigeria and made his debut on June 13, 2015, in an AFCON qualifying match against Chad.

His tally of five goals at the AFCON remains the highest scored by a defender in the history of the competition and will now stand as an unbroken record following his decision to step away from the team.

The defender scored eight goals in 83 appearances, with his final outing coming as a late substitute against Gabon on November 13.

He has not featured prominently under head coach Eric Chelle recently and was an unused substitute in the decisive World Cup play-off loss to DR Congo, a defeat that confirmed Nigeria’s failure to reach the tournament.

His reduced role in recent months came as he dropped down the pecking order behind Benjamin Fredrick in Chelle’s defensive plans.

Troost-Ekong was included in Nigeria’s provisional 54-man squad for the forthcoming AFCON in Morocco in December, and the final list is expected to be trimmed to 28 players.

The squad is due to begin camp in Egypt on December 10 ahead of the tournament’s start on December 21.

Meanwhile, Nigerian and African internationals preparing for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will remain with their clubs for an extra week after FIFA confirmed that players will now be released no later than December 15, easing concerns across European leagues.

The ruling means Super Eagles stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and others expected at the tournament in Morocco will be available for club duties deeper into the festive fixture schedule.

Before Wednesday’s announcement, teams faced the prospect of losing their African players as early as December 8, a scenario that had drawn complaints from several European sides.

In its statement obtained by our correspondent, FIFA said the adjustment followed “fruitful consultations” with key stakeholders, noting that CAF showed “a spirit of solidarity” in agreeing to push the release date back by a week.

The global body also urged national associations and clubs to hold “good faith bilateral discussions” to ease potential friction over player availability.

The change represents a significant relief for Premier League and European clubs with large African contingents. Most teams had feared being without their players for up to eight league matches during the busiest period of the season.

Clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United will still lose influential African players, but for a shorter period.

Mohamed Salah will depart Liverpool, while City will be without Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri. United will lose Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui. Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds, however, will remain unaffected.

Several of these clubs will also feel the impact of Nigeria’s call-ups, with Fulham set to lose Iwobi, Bassey and in-form winger Chukwueze, while Brentford will be without Frank Onyeka.

Wolverhampton Wanderers face the absence of striker Tolu Arokodare, and Atalanta will release Ademola Lookman, one of their most decisive attackers, who is just hitting top form.

Further withdrawals include Galatasaray forward Osimhen, Sevilla pair Chidera Ejuke and Akor Adams, and Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika, all of whom will report for Nigeria’s AFCON campaign.

The revised date provides additional time to complete crucial club fixtures before departing for the continental championship, which runs from December 21 to January 18.

Heavyweights, including Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Senegal, are expected to be among the favourites in Morocco. The new release date allows coaches slightly more continuity as they prepare for a tournament that will bring together 24 nations in one of world football’s most tightly contested international competitions.