Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong is nearing a return after being captured training with PAOK’s first team. The veteran centre-back has been unavailable since late February when he raptured the biceps femoris in his right foot.
Troost-Ekong was initially thought to have been ruled out for the rest of the season after he went under the knife, but he is now on course to play a part in PAOK’s late push for the Greek title, as they currently trail AEK Athens by four points with just three matches left.
The Nigeria international’s injury occurred just a few days after he participated in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) in Ivory Coast, where he helped the Super Eagles to an impressive second-place finish.
The 30-year-old later revealed that he played through the pain during the tournament, as he was carrying an injury, but said he had been advised by doctors to undergo surgery to fix the situation after aggravating the injury.
On Wednesday, however, Troost-Ekong was back in training, more than two months after he was ruled out due to injury. The former Watford and Udinese defender was pictured training with the PAOK first team in photos shared by the club on their website.
A separate video from PAOK TV also showed the Nigerian practising passing drills with his teammates while also taking part in a five-a-side match under the supervision of manager Razvan Lucescu.
Troost-Ekong hasn’t kicked a ball since late February, and will need to build up his match fitness first before attempting to reclaim his spot as a starter in the PAOK team. It, however, remains to be seen whether Lucescu will ease him back slowly or immediately thrust him back into the first team now that he’s back on grass.
Unfortunately, though, PAOK have no easy games coming up, as they’re scheduled to take on Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and Aris in their final three matches of the Championship Round. That means the Romanian manager will be keen to play his best team in each of the remaining matches, especially with the title on the line. Troost-Ekong will be hoping to be afforded some game time before the season ends after recovering from his injury.
Meanwhile, Troost-Ekong’s return comes as a huge boost to Nigeria, who will return to action in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers next month. The Super Eagles will host South Africa on June 2 before travelling to Benin a week later as they look to recover from a slow start to their qualifying campaign after drawing each of their first two matches.
Newly appointed Nigeria head coach Finidi George was denied the chance of having a full house when he took charge of the March international friendlies, with Troost-Ekong and many other key players from the silver-winning AFCON squad ruled out due to injury.
George would have, however, observed his side’s vulnerability in defence in the absence of their captain. The 53-year-old named different backlines for the friendlies against Ghana and Mali (Nigeria conceded three goals in those two matches) and although Benjamin Tanimu distinguished himself with an assured performance, Chidozie Awaziem had a stinker in both matches, while Semi Ajayi also struggled.
Troost-Ekong’s return means the Super Eagles will have their most dependable defender available for the World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin. The PAOK rearguard won the Golden Ball during the AFCON, and was also named in the team of the tournament due to his outstanding displays.
As it stands, no other player offers what Troost-Ekong brings to the Super Eagles, as he’s decisive at both ends of the pitch. While the ex-Gent man brings calm and aerial presence to the backline, he also has a knack for finding the back of the net, as evidenced by his three goals during the AFCON in Ivory Coast.
Emmanuel Ayamga is an Asante Kotoko fan and a passionate sports journalist with a little over five years of experience writing about African football.
His articles and features have been published in renowned news media like The Guardian, DW, Al Jazeera and Sportskeeda. His bylines can also be found in the UK journals World Soccer Magazine and These Football Times.
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