Ekong aims for NFF role after retiring from football

Former Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has shared his plans to enter football administration after he retires. He believes that for Nigerian football to improve, more former players need to take on decision-making roles in the sport's governing bodies, according to Sunday PUNCH.

The centre-back retired from international football in 2025, having made 83 appearances for Nigeria. He mentioned that he has started preparing for life after football by taking educational courses from the English Football Association. He aims to work in the boardroom instead of on the touchline.

“I have had so many people ask me about coaching the team, I am not sure that is something that I really want to do.

“I think there also need to be players that think about going one level above that, whether it is going to be in the boardroom, whether it is going to be working with federations, with FIFA, with CAF, whether the NFF. I think that is probably where you can make the biggest change,” Ekong told Brila FM.

Ekong, who played for Watford, acknowledged that administrative roles in African football can be tough due to political issues. But he believes that former players have the experience needed to help improve the game if they get real chances.

“It is a difficult landscape because in African football there is also a lot of politics involved. We have so many ex-players who have a great understanding of the game. I do not think we have seen enough ex-players getting involved from the top. For me in Nigerian football, it is about finding ways that we can collaborate and enhance the federation because we have been there; we have seen it,” he said.

He pointed out examples of former players who moved into football administration successfully, like Andriy Shevchenko and Samuel Eto’o, who both became heads of their national football federations. Brazilian legend Zico also worked as his country’s sports minister.

“What I would love to do now, and the way I am preparing this part of my career, is to try and find ways where I can be part of the solution to see Nigeria reach bigger heights than we did when I was a player,” he said.

Ekong had a successful international career, playing in the 2016 Olympic Games, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and several Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He led Nigeria to a second-place finish at the 2023 Nations Cup and was named the Best Player of the tournament.

His remarks come as talks about football administration in Nigeria heat up again. This follows the Super Eagles not qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Former Nigeria striker, Peter Ijeh, blamed the decline of the team on the country's football leaders, pointing to a lack of proper structure and accountability. Former captain, John Obi Mikel, also criticized the football system in a podcast with former England striker, Peter Crouch, saying he turned down offers to get involved because he disagreed with current officials.

But former international, Oladimeji Lawal, disagreed with Mikel’s statements. He advised Mikel to use his experience to find real solutions instead of just criticizing publicly. Lawal also pointed out that Mikel has not invested in any football academy or facility in Nigeria since he retired.