Troost-Ekong snubs Okocha, Kanu, Osimhen, picks dream Super Eagles teammate

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has named Lionel Messi as his dream addition to the Nigerian national team.

Despite the presence of iconic names in Nigerian football history, the defender jokingly wished the Argentine legend had Nigerian roots.

In a light-hearted yet revealing interview with ESPN, Troost-Ekong praised the strength of the current Super Eagles squad but confessed that the one player he would love to line up alongside is Lionel Messi.

"I'd love to have Lionel Messi in my team. I don't know if he has got a father or grandfather who is Nigerian somehow," he quipped.

While Nigeria has produced stars like Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, and Victor Osimhen, Ekong believes that between current players and past internationals, the team already has something special.

Still, the chance to link up with a player of Messi’s calibre would be a dream scenario for the defender.

Troost-Ekong also reflected on the toughest strikers he has faced in his career, singling out Duván Zapata from his time in Serie A as particularly challenging.

He listed global stars like Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored three times in five encounters against him, as other major tests.

Despite all these battles, Ekong described captaining Nigeria as the highlight of his football journey.

With his eyes set firmly on winning the Africa Cup of Nations and securing World Cup qualification, the defender reaffirmed his belief in the Super Eagles' potential on the global stage.