Super Eagles’ young players can win African Nations Cup, says Ekong

Super Eagles’ defender, William Troost-Ekong believes the young players in the Nigerian team can win the 2019 African Nations Cup in Egypt this year.

Ekong, who wore the captain’s armband for the first time in the recent international friendly game against Egypt, says the Nigerian side need to keep playing together and remain positive minded to make a mark in the AFCON.

The Udinese FC of Italy defender also points at the high level of competition in the Super Eagles team as one factor that has kept improving the standard of the team, saying that the players know that only hard work would keep them I the team.

He commended Coach Gernot Rohr for his ability to encourage and instill tactical discipline in the players, adding that the newly invited players have also added a new dimension to the team.

“In the absence of great players like Mikel Obi, and Ahmed Musa, I was given the role to lead the Eagles against Egypt and it was a pleasure leading my country,” he said.

He sees a lot of improvement in the Eagles’ defence, saying, “playing alongside Leon Balogun or Kenneth Omeruo is okay for me. You cannot remove the fact that Omeruo is an experienced player, who has played in the Nations and World Cup in the past, so his skills are needed in the Eagles.”

Looking forward to a successful campaign at the African Nations Cup, Troost-Ekong said, “I cannot wait to represent Nigeria at the AFCON because it will boost my career. African football is different from European football, so my approach have to be different in every game based on the fact that Africa has quality teams.”