Nigeria defender William Troost-Ekong is reportedly a doubt for the Super Eagles’ final Group A game of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) against Guinea-Bissau.
Troost-Ekong has been ever-present in Jose Peseiro’s line-up, even captaining the side following Ahmed Musa’s reduced role in the first team.
The 30-year-old played full throttle in Nigeria’s first two group matches and scored from the penalty as they beat hosts Ivory Coast 1-0 last Thursday, January 18.
Ahead of the Super Eagles’ final group game against Equatorial Guinea, though, it has emerged that Troost-Ekong has picked up an injury and could miss out.
According to a report by ACL Sports, the PAOK centre-back has been ruled out of Monday’s game against the Djurtus.
Troost-Ekong the latest Super Eagles injury blow
Even worse, the report suggests Troost-Ekong would now miss the remainder of the tournament after suffering a hamstring injury.
The defender is said to have picked up the injury in the first half of the game against the Ivory Coast but decided to lead by example by playing through the pain.
The report claims that Troost-Ekong did not train with his teammates the day after the match against the Elephants and hasn’t trained with the group in the days that have followed.
He is said to have trained separately from the squad on Sunday and is now expected to miss the game against Guinea-Bissau after failing to recover in time.
The former Watford man remains the only Nigerian defender to have scored in three AFCON tournaments after Stephen Keshi.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Omeruo, who came on as a second-half substitute against the Ivory Coast, is expected to take Troost-Ekong’s place in the team against Guinea-Bissau.
His possible absence, though, adds to Nigeria’s growing list of injuries at the AFCON, with Alhassan Yusuf also currently on the sidelines.
