Troost-Ekong Says Eagles Need More Than Just Talent

Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has warned that Nigeria should not only depend on its talent. He called for better consistency and stronger systems in the national team, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Speaking on beIN Sports, Troost-Ekong said the Nigeria Football Federation needs to provide stability for the coaching staff and players. This is vital if the Super Eagles want to reach their full potential.

“We’re at a point where we need to see some consistency, I think, from the top down, talking from the federation to the coach to this group of players. I think the talent is there in abundance,” he said.

The former defender supported the NFF’s choice to keep Eric Chelle for the long term. He also mentioned the uncertainty around how the national team is organized.

“I think what we’re seeing now is still some uncertainty about how things are prepared for the team. I think that appointing Eric Chelle now for the long term has been the right thing to do. He’s also in charge of the Olympic team,” Troost-Ekong said.

Chelle made a new deal with the NFF in June. This deal also put him in charge of Nigeria’s U-23 team. The goal is to strengthen the link between the youth teams and the senior national teams.

Troost-Ekong, who stopped playing internationally in December 2025 after ten years with the Super Eagles, emphasized that individual skill will only get Nigeria so far without a strong foundation.

“So that consistency is number one. But I do think that the team needs the structure and the backbone, and we can’t just rely on the talent alone because I think we’ve managed to cover a lot of gaps over the years,” he said.

He pointed out that these weaknesses could become clearer as African football improves.

“But now, over time, those things will get exposed and, yeah, they need to have the right structure around it because for any team playing in Africa, the level is continuously increasing from the other teams,” he added.

Troost-Ekong urged the Super Eagles to ensure they have the right conditions to compete. He called for consistency under Chelle.

“So you need to make sure that you give yourself the best opportunity to win. And I think now, with this coach, hopefully they can find some consistency and take the qualifiers seriously from the beginning. And then I think we’re all going to see some great things from Nigeria again,” he concluded.