Odemwingie Says Eagles Captains Must Play in Europe

Former Super Eagles player Peter Odemwingie has criticized William Troost-Ekong for still being captain of Nigeria while playing in Saudi Arabia. He believes only players in top European leagues should wear the captain's armband.

Troost-Ekong, who has now retired from international football, joined Saudi Pro League team Al-Kholood in 2024 after leaving the Greek club PAOK. Even after moving away from Europe, he kept the captaincy under former head coach Finidi George and then Eric Chelle.

While speaking on Brila FM with ex-Nigeria international Ifeanyi Udeze, Odemwingie said Troost-Ekong was living on his past success instead of focusing on his current performance.

“It got to a point that when I see players like William Troost-Ekong, our captain, now retired, he moved to Saudi Arabia, and he was still captain of the national team. I understand that he is still riding on his past glory, but, for me, when things like that happen, it is an automatic out for captaincy,” Odemwingie said.

Odemwingie believes this rule should apply beyond Nigeria. “Any player that does not play in a top league should not captain the Super Eagles; it is a fact. It is not natural. Not just Nigeria, but any country,” he added.

Troost-Ekong was one of Nigeria’s top defenders and led the Super Eagles to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, where he won the Player of The Tournament award.

But Odemwingie stressed that past achievements shouldn't secure leadership if a player's club career falls outside the top level.

When asked if the same rule applied to Victor Osimhen, who plays for Galatasaray in Turkey and is seen as a future captain, Odemwingie made a clear distinction.

“Oh, the Turkish Lig is a big league. They play Champions League football. I was talking about when players leave European football. European football for now is the strongest in the world,” he said.

He went on to explain that aiming for Champions League football is a key sign of a player's priorities. “The Champions League is the biggest trophy, and the players that are hunting for that are usually the ones who put football first; every other thing comes after,” Odemwingie said, using Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia as an example of how things can change.

“You know, Cristiano was still playing in Saudi and captained Portugal, but we saw the decline in his form; it is riding on past glory. The players who go after Saudi money want to have two sides of the coin. They want to secure their financial future and play football. Half their head is already somewhere else,” he concluded.

Wilfred Ndidi has taken over as captain for Nigeria in Troost-Ekong’s absence, with Moses Simon, Victor Osimhen, and Alex Iwobi serving as vice-captains.