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Super Eagles on-field captain William Troost Ekong received plaudits from national team legend Joseph Yobo.
Super Eagles legend Joseph Yobo has praised the current on-field captain of the Nigerian national team, Williams Troost Ekong for his exemplary leadership skills.
Ekong is officially the vice-captain of the Super Eagles, deputising Ahmed Musa. With the former Leicester man currently a free agent, his activity with the national team has been limited; hence, the former PAOK defender has taken the mantle.
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Why I joined Saudi Pro League — Super Eagles captain Troost-Ekong opens up
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Although Musa was named in the AFCON 2023 squad, he did not play a single minute, and Ekong led the team triumphantly, putting up dominant performances offensively and defensively.
The Nigerian national team, up until the advanced stages of the competition, were the best defence, thanks in part to the former Watford man. On the other end of the pitch, he scored three goals, the joint-most for Nigeria, along with Ademola Lookman.
What Yobo said
Ekong’s absence was felt in Nigeria’s two AFCON qualifier clashes under Finidi George. He returned to the squad as captain in the last international break and the team, under Eguavoen, accrued four points of a possible six.
Speaking about him in a recent interview with the Guardian, Yobo, who was himself a defender and Super Eagles captain at a time, praised the Netherlands-born defender, calling him a wonderful leader and human.
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“Congratulations to him; he is a great player but more so a wonderful human being,” Yobo said, “When you talk about leadership, this guy, for me, without putting anyone down, is one of the best in the team.
“I saw him play at the Under-23s with the mohawk (Brazil 2016 Olympics), then coming into the coaching crew as an assistant (in 2020) got me up close and personal.
“With my role as a defensive coach, I realised he was a fantastic leader apart from being a player. Leadership doesn’t come to everybody. He is a fantastic leader and I’m happy he’s come back and proved it at the last AFCON, almost leading the team to glory, becoming the player of the tournament.
“He is a fantastic leader with great communication skills despite his diverse background.”
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