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Super Eagles on-pitch captain William Troost-Ekong talks about Nigeria's shortcoming in the AFCON 2023 final against Cote d'Ivoire.
In a heart-wrenching turn of events at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Nigeria suffered a bitter defeat in the AFCON 2023 final against Ivory Coast.
The national team’s stand-in captain, William Troost-Ekong looks back at the match and says what a missed opportunity it was. He talks about what they could have done differently that could have changed the outcome.
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Troost-Ekong's Heroics Not Enough
The match saw Nigeria take the lead, courtesy of a commanding header from William Troost-Ekong. However, the visitors refused to capitulate, steadily mounting pressure on the Nigerian defence as they sought an equaliser.
As the match progressed, Ivory Coast seized the momentum, buoyed by the fervent support of their home crowd. In a dramatic turnaround, the hosts clawed their way back into contention, levelling the score before ultimately securing a dramatic late winner through Sebastian Haller. The victory secured a third AFCON crown for Les Éléphants and left Nigerian hearts shattered.
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Troost-Ekong Reflects on Missed Opportunities
Reflecting on the disappointing result, Troost-Ekong lamented Nigeria's inability to capitalise on their early lead, stating, "We should have pushed on a bit more to try and get the second goal, instead of trying to wait to see what would happen."
“They grew into the game, especially with the crowd … as soon as they scored the equaliser you could feel the momentum completely change," he told CNN World Sport.
The defender acknowledged the shift in momentum following Ivory Coast's equaliser, highlighting the impact of the raucous home crowd on the outcome of the match.
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