•Fines Libya $50,000, awards Nigeria three goals, three points
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali have reacted to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarding Nigeria three points and imposing a $50,000 fine on Libya’s Football Association.
This action followed Libya’s unsatisfactory treatment of the Super Eagles before their scheduled October 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
The Super Eagles’ scheduled match against Libya on October 15 was cancelled after the team was detained for over 20 hours without food or water upon arriving at Al Abaq airport.
In its ruling on Saturday, the Disciplinary Board, chaired by Ousmane Kane, found the Libyan Football Federation in violation of Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations and Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
Libya will also have to pay a fine of $50,000 within 60 days of this notification while Nigeria was handed three goals and three points.
It partly reads, “The Libyan Football Federation is found to have breached Article 31 of the Africa Cup of Nations Regulations, as well as Articles 82 and 151 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
“The match No. 87, Libya v Nigeria, of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers 2025 (scheduled to be played on 15 October 2024 in Benghazi), is declared lost by forfeit by Libya (with a record of 3-0).”
Reacting in a post on his X account on Saturday, Troost-Ekong, the Super Eagles skipper, stated that the development brings the Super Eagles closer to qualifying for AFCON 2025.
He wrote, “JUSTICE: CAF awards three points and three goals to Nigeria. Libya fined $50,000.
“The plane was diverted 300km from the scheduled airport, even when the pilot told them he was low on fuel. One step closer to our target AFCON 2025.”
In his own post, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali quote-tweeted CAF’s announcement and questioned, “$50k for eba?”
The decision boosts Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 qualification hopes, putting them at the top of Group D with 10 points, four points ahead of second-placed Benin Republic.
Super Eagles of Nigeria captain, William Troost-Ekong, has defended the decision to pull the Super Eagles out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya after being subjected to hostile treatment upon arrival in the country.
The Nation had reported that the team, was left stranded at the airport for over 12 hours after arriving for the Matchday four fixture originally slated to hold today in Benani, close to Benghazi.
But Nigerian team’s flight scheduled to land in Benghazi was diverted mid-air to Al-Abraq International Airport even as the players and officials were left unattended to by their host forcing the NFF to pull out of the game.
Ekong who expressed his disappointment on social media ,said he has never experienced such a treatment in all his years in football.
He wrote: “12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Lybia (Libya) after our plane was diverted whilst descending. Lybian (Libyan) government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason. They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games.
“I’ve experienced stuff before playing away in Africa but this is disgraceful behaviour. Even the Tunisian Pilot who thankfully managed to navigate the last minute change to an airport not fit for our plane to land had never seen something like this before.
“Upon arrival he tried to find a nearby airport to rest with his crew to be denied at every hotel again under Government instruction. He could sleep there but NO NIGERIAN crew members allowed. They have returned to now sleep on the plane which is parked up.
“At this point we have called for our Nigerian Government to intervene and rescue us.
As the captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this game. CAF should look at the report and what is happening here. Even if they decide to allow.”
“This kind of behaviour, let them have the points. We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here even with security it’s not safe. We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like given to us IF we continued.
“We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen but these things on purpose have nothing to do with int. football.”
Super Eagles captain and recipient of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of last month’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, William Troost-Ekong said he would have swapped the individual award for the gold medalist and AFCON trophy.
Only six months ago, the Super Eagles skipper had been considering walking away from international football entirely following disagreements with coach José Peseiro. Charged with rallying a team left reeling from the disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Troost-Ekong was concerned with how he was being treated by the Portuguese manager.
“[It] resulted in us not actually speaking for a few months. That was the time where my pride and ego, I think maybe got the better of me. I thought about stopping. Thankfully, I’ve got a good group of people around me who talk me out of it,” the defender told CNN World Sport’s Amanda Davies in a recent interview.
That is history now considering Troost-Ekong led a Nigerian side that was not given any opportunity to do well to the final of the Africa’s football showpiece.
His exploits at the competition become even more remarkable when you learn he played most of the tournament with a hamstring injury which has subsequently pretty much ended his season.
He said: “I had a torn bicep femoris, which is basically the outside part of the hamstring. It happened during the tournament and I think I had a small tear initially in the second group stage game against Ivory Coast. I managed to play on and then after the final I had another MRI, and we realised it was really ruptured.
“It was very sore playing with it, and I couldn’t really train after the second group game. I was just trying ice to keep the swelling down. I might do half an hour of training the day before each game, and then during the game a combination of painkillers and adrenaline mean you can get through it. The day after each game it was definitely showing as I was struggling to walk.”
The 30-year-old endured the pains to lead Nigeria to the final constantly stepping up to score from the spot.
“But thankfully now I’m sorted. I went to Finland to have surgery with Dr Lasse Lampainen who is one of the best in the world and has operated on quite a few Watford players in the past.
“I should be back and fit again in May, but I think it’s probably season over. You never know how rehab will go but I don’t want to rush it because at my tender age of 30 you have to be smart about these injuries.
“I want to be 100% for next season, 100% right. If I can play at the end this season that’s great, if not then I will be ready for next season.”
AFCON FINAL
To get to the final and take the lead meant Troost-Ekong and his teammates were so close to glory. In-fact, he put Super Eagles in front with a powerful header before the host replied with two to lift the trophy.
“It was bitter-sweet in the end,” he admits.
“When you get so close all you want to do is win it, and I think the way the tournament played out with some of the more fancied nations got eliminated it just seemed like everything was working for us.
“To lose in the final is hard, but being really honest Ivory Coast were better than us on the day.
“But I brought home Player of the Tournament which is something special and something I wasn’t expecting at all.
“I still would have swapped it for a winner’s medal though.”
Losing to the hosts in their own stadium is some mitigation for not quite going all the way.
“I think it would have been a very different final if the tournament wasn’t in the Ivory Coast,” he said.
“They finished third in our group and qualified as one of the best third-placed teams, then they sacked their manager, and got through the next round with a last-minute goal.
“So many times during the tournament they had their backs against the wall that when they got to the final it felt like they thought they had nothing to lose.
“The whole stadium at the final was literally Ivory Coast. It was hard to spot any Nigerians in the stadium so it was like a real away game.
“It was hostile for us that day, and if it had been anywhere else I think we’d have had a better chance.”
TAKING PENALTY
One thing AFCON did reveal was Troost-Ekong is a very impressive and successful penalty taker.
He scored the winner from the spot when Nigeria beat Ivory Coast 1-0 in their group game, then again against South Africa in the semi-final and also again in the shoot-out at the end of that game to secure a place in the final.
“I always enjoyed taking penalties and after training I always used to take them, but it’s hard to convince a manager to let you have a go when there’s strikers on the pitch.
“I understand that: scoring goals is their speciality and also sometimes it can help their confidence if they haven’t scored for a while.
“It just sort of happened by accident for Nigeria. I’d put my name forward several times and the manager was happy with how I’d been taking them in training.
“Two years ago we played Ghana in a World Cup qualifier, and it was a crucial moment in that game. I was captain and I remember Victor Osimhen giving me the ball, and I scored that one.
“Since then everyone sort of trusted me for the big moments, and the same thing happened in this tournament.
“I’ve never taken one in a club games. I have spoken to managers about it many times but I’ve never been given the chance.
“When I scored at AFCON the manager of my team in Greece, PAOK, text me saying I’d convinced him now!
“When I was playing at Watford we had penalty takers like Ismaila Sarr and managers wanted him to score goals and get confidence.
“To be honest, I don’t care if it’s me or someone else scoring them – but I do know if I take one and put my foot through it then there aren’t going to be many goalkeepers who save it!”
WATFORD
Troost-Ekong is strongly connected to his country, and such love and commitment have pitted him against club-at least one-Watford.
“It was during the pandemic so the grounds were empty, except for some games halfway through when they let a small number of fans in.
“We got promoted and it was my best season at Watford.
He played 33 times that season, but then only made 18 outings in the following campaign.
“The second season I had at the club wasn’t great,” he said, with the tone of his voice clearly suggesting some irony.
“It was my worst season in my career which was a real shame because it was what I had worked for the hardest. It was always my dream to play in the Premier League.
“We started off great on the first day against Aston Villa, we did pick up points and there were some good moments.
“But thing started going wrong around November and I had a horrible game against Leicester when I let the ball bounce and it led to a goal.
“Then away at Brentford I got crucified – I thought I played well throughout the game and then in the last minute I gave the ball away trying to pass it out to the side.
“Because I gave the ball away I was so intent on trying to win it back that I made a slide tackle in the box that was rash and silly. They scored the penalty and we ended up losing 2-1.”
However, Troost-Ekong started at Vicarage Road when Watford lost 1-0 at home to Spurs, before he went to join up with his Nigerian teammates ahead of the delayed 2021 AFCON finals.
That’s when, in his own words, “things started to go wrong” for the defender.
“In the January I flew out to represent Nigeria at AFCON, and when I was at the airport waiting to take off I got a phonecall from Cristiano Giaretta, who told me if I did leave to go to AFCON then Watford were going to sell me,” he recalled.
“He said they already had a club lined up to buy me. I was pretty shocked by that.
“They had said everything was fine with me going to AFCON, but there had been all the big drama because Emmanuel Dennis decided not to go but I did.
“I was captain of Nigeria at the time and I wanted to go and represent my country.
“It was a night flight to Nigeria so it must have been around 10pm when Cristiano called me, and said they had an offer from Trabzonspor in Turkey.
“They had listed me on a website called TransferRoom, which is what all the clubs use.
“He said he wanted me to make a decision on going to Trabzonspor, and I said I was very happy at Watford, thanks.
“I knew things weren’t going great but I believed I could fight my way back into the team.
“I came back from AFCON and I spent the rest of the season out of the squad. I came on for the last ten minutes of the game at Crystal Palace where we lost 1-0 and got relegated.
“Basically I think I was frozen out because I went to AFCON.
“I came back for the new season and had already made up my mind that I wanted to leave because of the experiences I’d had the season before.
“Rob Edwards came in and I had a good first meeting with him, but I said I wanted to leave and at that time I had several options.
“The club said you’re absolutely not leaving, but I didn’t play much at all. On the last day of August I got a phone call from the club saying that if I got something good then I could go.
“That wasn’t much use as it was the last day of the transfer window. It just infuriated me even more. All the clubs that had been interested had signed other players by then.
“Then Rob put me in for my first start at home to Sunderland, and we drew 2-2 and I thought I played really well.
“I remember Rob and his assistant Richie Kyle saying if they knew I could play like that then they would have played me sooner. I think they then got sacked the next week.”
FUTURE
Troost-Ekong’s future is similarly open-ended. In a club career that has taken him from Holland through Belgium, Turkey, Italy and the English Premier League with Watford, he is enjoying his football at Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki, but refused to rule out another change of scenery eventually.
“I can’t reiterate enough how happy I am here at PAOK, but you never know in football … you might get tempted by something bigger and better,” he admitted.
“I think at my age of 30, you have to think about all your options. It will be something that I definitely consider,” he added.
The trio of Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi and Shehu Abdullahi arrived at the Super Eagles’ training camp in Asaba on Wednesday afternoon for the preparation of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Their arrival swelled the list of the players in camp to 23.
The team’s camp was officially opened on Sunday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba but Musa, Iwobi and Abdullahi were given extra days off from camp by the team’s head Coach Gernot Rohr.
NationSport had earlier reported that Musa and Abdullahi were permitted to skip training in the last three days to enable them to finish their Ramadan fasting and celebrate Salah festival with their families, while Iwobi came late to the camp due to his involvement in Arsenal’s UEFA Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku.
He scored Arsenal consolation goal in a 1-3 defeat to Chelsea. However, the duo of Odion Ighalo and William Troost-Ekong are yet to arrive in the camp. A source in the camp told NationSport that Ighalo and Troost-Ekong may join the team today.
Ighalo suffered a hamstring injury in his side’s 1-1 draw at Tianjin Teda on May 10 and has not featured in a competitive game for Shanghai Shenhua since his terrible injury.
Ighalo resumed full training last Tuesday with the possibility that he will recover very fast before the camp opened for the AFCON preparation but his absence in camp has continued to put doubt on his fitness level for the AFCON with just a few days to kick off.
Super Eagles trained once on Wednesday under the guidance of coach Rohr and his assistants. The training session, which was opened for fans and media, started at 4.15 pm.
Things are certainly looking up for Nigerian players after the world cup in Russia, crashing out in the first round notwithstanding.
Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong has agreed terms with Italian Seria A side Udinese .
The Bursaspor defender who welcomed his new baby shortly after the world cup agreed terms with Udinese on Wednesday according to Sky Sport Italia. Troost-Ekong who turns 25 next month moved to Bursaspor a year ago for €1m, having previously played for Tottenham Hotspur, Groningen, Dordrecht, KAA Gent and Haugesund.
Born in the Netherlands of Nigerian descent, Troost-Ekong played for Holland at Under-19 and Under-21 level, but eventually chose to represent Nigeria.
He has been capped 24 times by Nigeria and put a good effort at the world cup despite Super Eagles early exit.
Only few weeks back two goals hero at the Russia 2018 Ahmed Musa who equally welcomed a baby just after the world cup moved to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr where he has already opened a goal account, while Chelsea’s Kenneth Omeruo secured contract extension with the Blues but will continue on the road as usual after another loan move to Spanish side Leganes, the 6th of such loan moves since he joined the Stamford Bridge landlords in 2012
Super Eagles’ defender, William Troost-Ekong has welcomed a baby boy into his family after his girlfriend put to bed on Tuesday
The pair, who have been dating for about five years, made public the pregnancy prior to the FIFA World Cup in Russia as Ekong wished for a tournament baby.
The birth of the Ekong’s baby boy adds to the growing list of future Super Eagles’ stars following the birth of Elderson Echiejile’s son earlier in the year.
An apparently overjoyed Ekong was seen in pix he dished out on twitter cuddling the new born who has already been named Oscar as he sleeps peacefully with the caption “our beautiful boy Oscar Ekong”
Ekong who put in a good fight in the three matches played by the Super Eagles may have been slightly disappointed following Nigeria’s early exit from the Mundial but Oscar’s arrival is sure to push all post world cup feelings to the back seat.
Prior to the birth of the baby, the former Netherlands U20 ace had revealed that he is very committed to his partner adding that she is has been a pillar of support for him.
After playing football at youth level in England for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, Troost-Ekong began his senior career in the Netherlands with FC Groningen and FC Dordrecht.
After being linked abroad with transfers to Celtic among others, he signed for Belgian club KAA Gent in July 2015, immediately joining Norwegian club FK Haugesund on loan.
In July 2017, he signed for Turkish club Bursaspor of the Süper Lig, and has made over 31 appearances for the side with two goals to his credit
Three Nigerian players are now in line for consideration for continental football awards in January after being listed among nominees by the Confederation of African Football ( CAF ).
The three players include overseas-based Victor Moses and William Troost-Ekong who have been nominated for the African Player of the Year award.
Egypt-based Junior Ajayi who plays for Egyptian side Al Ahly has also been nominated for the African Player of the Year Based in Africa 2017 award.
30 players each have been nominated for the two topmost categories of the awards.
The winner of each award will be decided by votes from a selected group.
These are the Head Coaches/Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF, members of the CAF Technical and Development Committee and a panel of Media Experts.
The Awards Gala will be held on Jan. 4 in Accra, Ghana.
Nigerian energy giants Aiteo are the headline sponsors of the awards’ 2017 edition, after taking over from Nigerian telecommunications company Glo.
The awards will see players, officials and administrators who distinguished themselves exemplary during the year under review being honoured for their efforts towards the development of the game on the continent.
Following are the list of nominees in the two categories:
The duo of William Troost-Ekong and Victor Moses have been named1 for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) player of the year award.
The Super Eagles stars, who play their trade in Europe, are the two Nigerians among 30 players nominated for the award this year.
The Confederation of African Football on Wednesday published on its official website the 30 most outstanding players in Africa in the last one year, and also the players nominated for African Player of the Year – Based in Africa 2017.
Last season, Moses was instrumental as Chelsea won the Premier League title, playing 34 games and contributing to six goals over the course of the season and also featured in the final of the FA Cup.
For the national team, he was the Super Eagles best player in the third round of the World Cup qualifying series, scoring three goals and providing an assist.
William Troost-Ekong also had a brilliant 2017 and completed each of the five games he started for the Super Eagles during the World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria U23 international Junior Ajayi of Al Ahly is among the nominees for the African player of the year (Africa-based).
“The winner will be decided by votes from the head coaches/technical directors of the national associations affiliated to CAF, members of the CAF technical and development committee and a panel of media experts,” CAF said.
“The awards gala will be held on Thursday, 4 January 2018 in Accra, Ghana.
African Player of the Year
1. Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
2. Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Lyon)
3. Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal)
4. Christian Atsu (Ghana & Newcastle)
5. Christian Bassogog (Cameroon & Henan Jianye)
6. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
7. Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United)
8. Essam El Hadary (Egypt & Al Taawoun)
9. Fabrice Ondoa (Cameroon & Sevilla)
10. Fackson Kapumbu (Zambia & Zesco)
11. Jean Michel Seri (Cote d’Ivoire & Nice)
12. Junior Kabananga (DR Congo & Astana)
13. Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord)
14. Keita Balde (Senegal & Monaco)
15. Khalid Boutaib (Morocco & Yeni Malatyaspor)
16. Mbwana Samata (Tanzania & Genk)
17. Michael Olunga (Kenya & Girona)
18. Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
19. Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)
20. Naby Keita (Guinea & RB Leipzig)
21. Percy Tau (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
22. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund)
23. Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
24. Thomas Partey (Ghana & Atletico Madrid)
25. Victor Moses (Nigeria & Chelsea)
26. Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Porto)
27. William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria & Bursaspor)
28. Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)
29. Youssef Msakni (Tunisia & Al Duhail)
30. Yves Bissouma (Mali & Lille)
African Player of the Year – Based in Africa
1. Achraf Bencharki (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
2. Ahmed Fathi (Egypt & Al Ahly)
3. Alkhaly Bangoura (Guinea & Etoile du Sahel)
4. Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
5. Aristide Bance (Burkina Faso & Al Masry)
6. Ayman Majid (Morocco & FUS Rabat)
7. Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel)
8. Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
9. Dean Furman (South Africa & Supersport United)
10. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
11. Elsamani Saadeldin (Sudan & Al Merreikh)
12. Fackson Kapumbu (Zambia & Zesco)
13. Fawzi Chaouchi (Algeria & MC Alger)
14. Geoffrey Serunkuma (Uganda & KCCA)
15. Jeremy Brockie (New Zealand & Supersport)
16. Junior Ajayi (Nigeria & Al Ahly)
17. Karim Aouadhi (Tunisia & CS Sfaxien)
18. Mohamed Meftah (Algeria & USM Alger)
19. Mohamed Ounnajem (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
20. Muaid Ellafi (Libya & Ahly Tripoli)
21. Nasr Eldin Ahmed (Sudan & Hilal Obeid)
22. Oussama Darfalou (Algeria & USM Alger)
23. Percy Tau (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
24. Sabelo Ndzinisa (Swaziland & Mbabane Swallows)
25. Saber Khalifa (Tunisia & Club Africain)
26. Saladin Said (Ethiopia & Saint George)
27. Sylvain Gbohouo (Cote d’Ivoire & TP Mazembe)
28. Tady Etekiama (DR Congo & AS Vita)
29. Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)
30. Tarek Hamed (Egypt & Zamalek)
Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has penciled down the duo of William Troost-Ekong and Musa Mohammed for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers starting in October.
A top official told africanFootball.com that Troost-Ekong and Musa Mohammed are among the defenders the newly appointed Eagles technical adviser will consider for the World Cup qualifiers.
“He has mentioned the names of some of the players he is counting on for the qualifiers and some of them will be called up for the African Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifier against Tanzania in Port Harcourt.”
Norway-based Troost-Ekong is currently leading the defence line of Nigeria U-23 team at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The central defender, who was eligible to represent Holland by virtue of his Dutch mother, debuted for Nigeria in the AFCON qualifier against Chad last year.
Mohammed, on the other hand, made his long-awaited Eagles’ debut against Mali in May.
He also featured in Nigeria 3-1 win over Luxembourg that same month.
