The one player that many followers of the senior national team of Nigeria see as untouchable in the team ahead of their final game against South Africa is the captain of the team William Troost-Ekong, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Ekong has played in all games of the tournament for Nigeria at the tournament and has found the back of the net twice via the spot in highly tensed games namely the game against the host Cote d’Ivoire and the semi final game against South Africa.
He also fired home his effort from the spot kick during shoot outs capping his all round show in the game. His performance has been so good that he is seen by many as a candidate for the most valuable player of the tournament.
However, if it were for the former coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Sunday Oliseh he wouldn’t have had an international career with Nigeria with Oliseh dismissing the Dutch born defender as too soft to play African football.
In an interview back in 2018, the PAOK defender revealed how Oliseh dismissed his talent and that of Leon Balogun faulting their orientation in Europe as part of why they can’t survive playing football at international level in Africa.
“My partner at centre-back [new Brighton signing Leon Balogun] is half-German, half-Nigerian, so he is the same as me”, he told the UK Telegraph in 2018.
“After a game, he [Oliseh] said we were too soft to play against African players. “I have played against African strikers since then and no one has bullied me. I have proven my point.
That upset me because one of my traits as a player is that I am someone who does not back away from anyone. I am not the most skilful, but I know what I am good at.
“I think that’s part of being from different countries, different cultures. It’s not nice when people try to use that against you.
“I identify myself as being Nigerian as well, and I feel at home in the team. Not once have I ever looked around and thought ‘this is not for me’. But it spurred me on”, he rounded up saying.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
