Super Eagles’ captain, William Troost-Ekong has sent out a passionate appeal to all Nigerian football lovers to forgive him and his colleagues for Monday’s 2-1 loss to Rwanda in Uyo, and pledged that such mistakes will not occur in their next game.
Incidentally, the Eagles will again face Rwanda at the resumption of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March, and sports247.ng reports that many Nigerians are already apprehensive of another sting from The Wasps (Amavubi).
However, Ekong has come out with an emphatic reassurance that all of the Eagles’ players learnt a big lesson from their unexpected home defeat, and they will not allow a repeat to happen in March next year.
Although the Saudi Arabia-based centre back insinuated that a massive change of seven players in the Eagles’ starting line-up for Monday’s match affected the team’s thythm, he humbly accepted full responsibility as captain of the side.
Ekong added, “We have to take responsibility. It’s now three goals we’ve conceded in two games. It’s something we have to work on.
“Though we had some changes in the team, and that brought some difficulty in how we played, we still have to take responsibility.”
The vastly-improved stopper, who was voted as the most valuable player at the last Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, also pinpointed a specific area where he and his colleagues have to get things right.
“We have to tell ourselves as players – attackers, midfielders and defenders – we have to watch set-pieces.
“They are always key to any game and, in this match, the set-pieces changed the momentum.
“We were caught off guard in this game, and that’s something we have to improve on,” Ekong stressed.
He further lamented that he was not able to maintain a clean sheet in the inconsequential game at home, which he now wants to rectify
In order to make it up to all Nigerians, Ekong stressed that everyone must start looking towards next year for a change of fortune.
“From here on, in March next year, there won’t be any mistakes. There won’t be room for any of such things,” Ekong ended curtly.
