February 15, 2025

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‏William Troost-Ekong: The Defender Who Made History in the Africa Cup of Nations

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‏William Troost-Ekong: Made History in the Africa Cup of Nations

‏William Troost-Ekong: Made History in the Africa Cup of Nations

‏William Troost-Ekong, the 31-year-old defender for Saudi club Al-Kholood, stands out as one of the most prominent names in African football history thanks to his remarkable records with the Nigerian national team.

‏Ekong has played 71 international matches and scored 7 goals. Although his goal tally may seem modest, 5 of these goals came in the Africa Cup of Nations, making him the highest-scoring defender in the history of the tournament.

‏Ekong began his football journey at Fulham’s academy before moving to Tottenham’s youth team and eventually entering the professional ranks.

‏He played in the English Premier League with Watford, Serie A with Udinese, the Greek Super League with PAOK, and finally joined the Saudi Pro League with Al-Kholood.

‏Unforgettable Numbers in the Africa Cup of Nations

‏Ekong scored 5 goals across three consecutive editions of the Africa Cup of Nations (2019, 2021, 2023), becoming the first defender in tournament history to achieve this feat.

‏The Al-Kholood defender is also the second player to score in three different editions after Stephen Keshi, the former Nigerian captain who scored in 1982, 1984, and 1992. However, Ekong surpassed this achievement by scoring in consecutive editions, a unique accomplishment.

‏In the 2023 edition, Ekong added another record to his career by scoring 3 goals, equaling Libyan defender Ali Al-Beshari as the highest-scoring defender in a single edition, with Al-Beshari achieving the same in 1982.

‏Ekong’s goals in the 2023 tournament came against Ivory Coast in the group stage, South Africa in the semi-final, and once again against Ivory Coast in the final, where he led Nigeria to clinch the title.

He has been nominated to be included in the World XI for The Best Award 2024, and he was also included in the AFCON Best XI

‏Inspiration from the Past

‏Ekong’s achievements bring to mind the 1982 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Libya.

‏In that tournament, Libyan defender Ali Al-Beshari scored 3 goals, including Libya’s only goal in the final against Ghana.

‏Despite losing the title to Ghana in a penalty shootout, Al-Beshari stood out as one of the tournament’s stars and was the second-highest scorer, behind Ghanaian forward George Alhassan of Al Ahly, who scored 4 goals, including Ghana’s winner in the final.

‏A Distinguished Career

‏Overall, Ekong has scored 13 goals across 312 matches for all the clubs he has played for, including one goal for his current team, Al-Kholood, which currently ranks 15th in the Saudi Pro League.

‏William Troost-Ekong is not just an ordinary defender; he is a player who has broken records and made a difference in major matches, whether on the international stage or at the club level.

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