The vice-captain of the Super Eagles, William Troost-Ekong admitted that he had a misunderstanding with the team’s coach Jose Peseiro before the 2023 AFCON.
Troost-Ekong claimed that he was contemplating leaving the national team long before he was invited back to the team for the 2023 AFCON.
The 30-year-old defender who has made 64 appearances for Nigeria, scoring four goals, three of which came from the 2019, 2021 and 2023 editions of the AFCON, said his disagreement with Peseiro almost made it easier to give up on the team.
However, Troost-Ekong stressed that he never stopped contacting the team when he was out of the side. He later informed the coaching crew that he was available for selection after being left out of the team’s starting eleven following a friendly game with Portugal in November 2022. 
He wasn’t invited to the team in October and November 2023 international breaks but he was fortunate enough to be invited for the 2023 AFCON thanks to his form at his new club, POAK of Greece.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to play this AFCON or not and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue with the national team either because I was weighing all my options,” Troost-Ekong told ESPN.
“I felt that maybe the only thing that was going to stop me this time was that there was some disagreement with the coach before the tournament so I wasn’t sure if I was going to be part of the squad or not.
“I stayed in communication with the team, I was wishing them well. I also reminded the coach that I am available and I think everyone was impressed with how I was playing in the league and also the European Conference League.”
Interestingly, Troost-Ekong has been one of the most prominent players for Nigeria in the 2023 AFCON. He captained the team against Equatorial Guinea which ended in a 1-1 draw. He also captained the team in their 1-0 win over Ivory Coast and scored the winner via a spot-kick.
He didn’t play against Guinea-Bissau due to fitness issues but returned against Cameroon in the round of 16 which ended in a 2-0 win for Nigeria.
All things being equal, Troost-Ekong is expected to be in action when Nigeria take on Angola in the 2023 AFCON quarter-finals at 6 p.m. on Friday, February 2.
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