‘I had to Google who he was’ — Super Eagles captain Ekong responds to critics of his leadership

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has fired back at pundits Michael Lahoud and Troy Deeney after their strong criticism of his leadership, calling their comments “disrespectful” and insisting Nigeria remain fully united ahead of Sunday’s World Cup playoff final against DR Congo.

Ekong, who has 83 caps for Nigeria, made it clear that the team is focused, motivated, and prepared, regardless of outside noise.

The controversy began when Lahoud claimed on CBS Sports that Ekong “hasn’t stepped up as a leader” and is “a social media leader” rather than a vocal presence on the pitch.

Deeney agreed, adding that the Super Eagles need “a nasty person” to push the squad during difficult moments.

Ekong did not hold back in his response, saying, “Yeah, I thought it was very disrespectful. I had to Google who he was talking about me,” he said, adding that Lahoud’s comments lacked proper research.

He also expressed disappointment with Deeney, a former teammate he once supported at Watford. “If he didn’t respect me, maybe he should take away the Nigeria shirt I gave him, maybe it’s on his wall somewhere,” Ekong added.

The Super Eagles captain pointed out that leadership in the team is shared among players like Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Moses Simon.

Despite the criticism, Ekong reiterated that the squad’s focus is fully on Sunday’s decisive clash.

“All these kinds of things serve as extra motivation. The team is really united, and we are focused on the game on Sunday,” he said.

Ekong was an extra-time substitute as Nigeria defeated Gabon 4-1 in the semifinal of their CAF World Cup qualifying playoff.

Thanks to that victory, Nigeria are just one win away from entering the inter-confederation playoff, making the showdown against DR Congo a must-win battle for their 2026 World Cup hopes.