Thursday, June 4, 2026

The Sun Nigeria

Ekong to shun 2025 AFCON

William Troost-Ekong

William Troost-Ekong

Super Eagles captain William Ekong will not feature at next month’s AFCON in Morocco.

A top source told the portal that Ekong took this decision because he needs a new contract with his Saudi Arabian club, Al Kholood, who requires him to play a certain number of games before that could be possible.

“By playing at the AFCON, he may not meet up this number of games and so was forced to take the decision to quit international football altogether,” the top source informed.

“He took this decision even before the final Playoffs clash against DR Congo and only told the rest of the squad after the game.”

The 32-year-old central defender moved to Saudi Arabia in August 2024 from Greek champions PAOK.

His contract with Al Kholood runs until June 2026 with an option for a further year.