Former Players Must Lead NFF For Nigeria To Progress – Troost-Ekong

Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has declared that Nigerian football will only move forward if ex-internationals are given genuine decision-making power within the Nigeria Football Federation, as he positions himself for a post-retirement role in the game’s administrative structures.

The 83-cap defender, who retired from international duty in 2025, confirmed he is already preparing for life beyond the pitch—not as a coach, but as a future football administrator.

Through educational programmes with the English Football Association, Ekong is equipping himself for boardroom responsibilities with the NFF, CAF, or even FIFA.

“I have had so many people ask me about coaching the team—I am not sure that is something I really want to do,” Ekong told Brila FM. “I think there also need to be players that think about going one level above that, whether it is going to be in the boardroom, whether it is going to be working with federations. I think that is probably where you can make the biggest change.”

The former Watford centre-back acknowledged that administrative roles in African football are often complicated by political interests, but insisted that former players possess invaluable experience that could help reshape the game if given genuine opportunities.

“It is a difficult landscape because in African football there is also a lot of politics involved,” he said. “We have so many ex-players who have a great understanding of the game. I do not think we have seen enough ex-players getting involved from the top. For me in Nigerian football, it is about finding ways that we can collaborate and enhance the federation because we have been there; we have seen it.”

Ekong cited global examples of former players who successfully transitioned into football administration, including Andriy Shevchenko and Samuel Eto’o, who both became presidents of their national federations, and Brazilian great Zico, who served as his country’s minister of sports.

“What I would love to do now, and the way I am preparing this part of my career, is to try and find ways where I can be part of the solution to see Nigeria reach bigger heights than we did when I was a player,” he said.

Ekong’s decorated international career includes appearances at the 2016 Olympic Games, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He captained Nigeria to a runners-up finish at the 2023 Nations Cup, where he was named the tournament’s Best Player.

His remarks come amid intensified debate over the standard of football administration in Nigeria, following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Former striker Peter Ijeh had blamed administrators for the team’s decline, citing a lack of structure and accountability, while ex-captain John Obi Mikel also criticised the football system on a podcast, revealing he had turned down invitations to get involved due to disagreements with existing officials.

However, former international Oladimeji Lawal pushed back against Mikel’s comments, urging him to channel his experience into practical solutions rather than public criticism, and noting that Mikel had not, to his knowledge, invested in any football academy or facility in Nigeria since retiring.

Ekong’s stance offers a middle path—critique paired with personal commitment to step up and lead from within.