I told him to play for Super Eagles —Troost-Ekong reveals chat with World Cup goalscorer

The Ontario-born forward, who is of Nigerian descent, had previously featured for Nigeria’s U23 team in a competitive 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania.

However, he eventually chose to switch allegiance to Canada after receiving FIFA approval in February 2025.

David has made an immediate impact at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, coming off the bench to contribute with either a goal or an assist in both of his appearances so far, including scoring in Canada’s 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in their final group stage match.

Speaking on SuperSports, Troost-Ekong disclosed that he reached out to the talented forward to persuade him to commit to the Super Eagles.

“His rise has been meteoric, and of course, he is of Nigerian descent, so we had a conversation about playing for Nigeria. I tried my best to convince him,” Troost-Ekong said.

Despite Troost-Ekong’s efforts, David opted to play for Canada, the country of his birth.

The 23-year-old striker currently plays for Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and has shown strong form in recent months.

Troost-Ekong, who earned 71 caps for Nigeria, admitted he respects David’s final decision but made it clear he had pushed hard for him to choose the Super Eagles.