Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has given Akwa Ibom children his future camp allowances and match bonuses in an effort to support them in realizing their football goals.
The 30-year-old center back for PAOK Thessaloniki, a native of Akwa Ibom State, made the thoughtful gesture public on Brila FM on Monday.
Troost-Ekong, who was raised in the Netherlands by a Nigerian father and a Dutch mother, makes the most of every chance to socialize with his Ibibio people. It was only a matter of time until he gave back to the community that had given birth to and raised his father.
Troost-Ekong is viewed by all Akwa Ibom natives as a deserving representative, having earned the right to brag about his resolute and exceptional performances for the Eagles.This was the case following his outstanding performance as the Eagles’ captain in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where he led the team in scoring with three goals and was named MVP of the competition despite Nigeria’s defeat to the hosts in the final.
Onuachu is added to the Eagles injury list.Following his outstanding performance at the AFCON, Troost-Ekong was given a plaque by Umo Eno, the governor of Akwa Ibom State.
During a reception at the Government House in Uyo, the player gave the governor an Eagles jersey as a thank you for the state’s continuous encouragement and support.
Troost-Ekong was qualified to play for both Nigeria and the Netherlands internationally because his mother was Dutch and he was born in The Netherlands. He played for the former at the U-19 and U-20 levels before deciding to join the latter, for which he received six U-23 caps before being called up to the Eagles.
On June 13, 2015, Troost-Ekong made his senior debut for Nigeria, playing 90 minutes in an AFCON qualifying match against Chad. Since then, he has amassed 71 caps and scored seven goals.