SHOCK RETIREMENT: SUPER EAGLES CAPTAIN WILLIAM TROOST-EKONG STEPS DOWN BEFORE AFCON
Super Eagles Captain William Troost-Ekong retires from international football after 83 caps, passing on leadership responsibility ahead of the Morocco AFCON.
Nigeria's captain, William Troost-Ekong, has announced he's retiring from international soccer just ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Troost-Ekong first played for the Super Eagles in 2015 and has since played 83 games for them.
The former Watford defender was the captain when Nigeria reached the AFCON final two years ago. He also played for Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Troost-Ekong helped Nigeria win a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and said his time with the national team was unforgettable.
The 32-year-old was recently part of the Nigeria team that lost to DR Congo on penalties in a playoff for next year's World Cup.
Troost-Ekong's announcement comes just weeks before the start of AFCON in Morocco on December 21. Nigeria plays its first game against Tanzania on December 23.
In a statement, Troost-Ekong said, I'm retiring from international soccer today.
In 2015, a call from Stephen Keshi changed my life. He gave me my first game a month later. His belief in me made me want to be like him.
Every time I wore the Super Eagles shirt, I thought back to that moment.
Being the captain of the Super Eagles was more than I could have ever dreamed. Nigeria accepted me and trusted me to lead and represent a nation.
Being a boy raised in the Netherlands and becoming 'Oyibo Wall' and then 'Skippo' is something I'll always treasure.
I've played 83 games, been in 5 big tournaments, won 3 medals, and broken some records. I've really lived my dream.
A bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics, playing at the 2018 World Cup, and 3 great AFCON tournaments, with a bronze and a silver medal, will always be unforgettable.
Leading Nigeria through the 2023 AFCON, scoring in the final, and being named Player of the Tournament was very special.
I still wish it had ended differently. Being the defender with the most goals in AFCON history is something I share with every teammate who was there.
That tournament taught me what it means to be Nigerian—that when things get tough, we unite, work hard, push through the pain, and rise above it.
I'm happy knowing I gave everything I had. Not just for myself, but to inspire the next generation, like I was inspired by the legends I looked up to and had the honour of playing with.
It's been great playing with my Nigerian teammates, building something special together. Watching them become leaders, it's time to pass on the responsibility and the captaincy.
As someone who wore this shirt, I knew it was only temporary. Now it's time for the next generation to write their own story.
Being born abroad, I'm proud to be part of a group that showed it's possible to come home to play for our country.
None of this would have been possible without the people around me. To every coach, staff member, and especially my teammates, past and present, who were part of my international career—thank you.
To the Nigerian fans, the heart of Nigerian soccer, your support has helped me through everything. I'll stand with you as you stood with me.
This isn't goodbye. My work in Nigerian communities continues through The Troost-Ekong Foundation, and I'll keep working to build better futures for Nigerians. My support, love, and passion for the team will never go away.
The last ten years have been full of commitment, pride, and memories. Wearing the Super Eagles shirt was more than just playing soccer. It was a duty, a privilege, and an honour.
WHY DID CRISTIANO RONALDO CRY? LUKA MODRIC EXPOSES JOSE MOURINHO’S HARSHEST LECTURE
Luka Modric reveals Jose Mourinho once reduced Cristiano Ronaldo to tears at Real Madrid for failing to track back defensively.
Luka Modric says that Jose Mourinho once gave Cristiano Ronaldo such a harsh lecture that the guy was in tears.
Ronaldo, who's 40 now, played really well under Mourinho, who's 62. They were together at Real Madrid for three seasons, but apparently, they didn't always get along off the field.
Even though things got off to a slow start, the Portuguese superstar still managed to score 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho. He also helped Mourinho win three trophies in his first two seasons.
But get this: even with superstars like Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria on his team, Mourinho was still super critical of Ronaldo's effort on defense.
Modric, who Mourinho signed from Tottenham back in 2013, told a story about one argument that made Ronaldo cry. Apparently, it was because he didn't chase after his assigned player.
"I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room," Modric told Corriere della Sera, an Italian news outlet. Can you believe it? A guy who always gives it his all on the field, and he's getting yelled at because he didn't chase some defender.
Modric moved to Real Madrid in 2013 and only played under Mourinho for a year.
Modric, who played alongside Kaka and Mesut Ozil in the midfield after arriving for a big £33 million, didn't say which game the argument happened in.
Guillem Balague, a Spanish soccer journalist, wrote in Ronaldo's biography that Ronaldo and Mourinho almost fought after Mourinho yelled at him in the locker room following a 2-0 win against Valencia in January 2013.
Mourinho was mad because Ronaldo didn't seem willing to help out on defense during the game. And Ronaldo supposedly replied, After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me? How dare you say that to me!
Later that season, which turned out to be Mourinho's last with the team, Ronaldo was constantly asked about Mourinho's future. "I don't care," he said once. What I care about is my own future and the club.
This was a big change from earlier that year, when Mourinho said before the 2012 Ballon d'Or race, If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe!
After Mourinho left Real Madrid, he went on Spanish TV to talk about what caused the problems between him and Ronaldo.
"I only had one problem with him," he said. It was simple. When a coach gives a player feedback on tactics, they are trying to help them get better, in my opinion. He didn't take it well because he probably thinks he knows everything, and the coach can't help him.
Mourinho also said that they didn't really have a relationship. But time seemed to fix things, as he later said that coaching Ronaldo was the best thing that ever happened in his career.
Ronaldo also seemed to warm up to Mourinho later on, even saying that he was the best coach he ever had, even better than Sir Alex Ferguson. "I'd put him at the top; I always say that," Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo scored 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho during their three years together.
Even though Modric didn't win any trophies in his first season at Madrid, he was so impressed by Mourinho that he repeated something Mourinho famously said about himself.
He's special, as a coach and as a person, Modric said. He was the one who wanted me at Real Madrid. I wouldn't have come without him. I'm sad I only had him for one season.
Modric spent 13 years at Real Madrid, mostly managed by Carlo Ancelotti. Now he's at AC Milan and managed by Massimiliano Allegri. But he says Mourinho is the toughest of the three.
He added, "Mourinho is really direct with the players, but he's honest." He treated Sergio Ramos and new players the same way. If he had something to say, he'd say it. Max is the same way. He tells you what's right and wrong to your face. Honesty is key.
Modric also shared his opinion on the never-ending debate of who's better, Lionel Messi or Ronaldo, but said he doesn't really like talking about it.
"I don't like that question," he said. They both defined an era. I'm closer to Cristiano because I played with him; he was my teammate at Madrid, and I can tell you he's not just a great player, he's an amazing person. People don't know it, but he has a big heart and is always ready to help others. He's just a simple, normal guy.
He added, "I don't know Messi personally, but I'm sure he's great too." As a player, he's incredible.
CELTIC FANS DEMAND BOARD SACK WILFRIED NANCY AFTER SHOCK MOTHERWELL DEFEAT TONIGHT
Wilfried Nancy dismisses sack talk after Celtic's 2-0 loss at Motherwell. With Rangers closing in, the Old Firm looms large.
After Celtic's fifth loss in seven games under his leadership, Wilfried Nancy brushed off ideas that Saturday's Old Firm game would decide his future.
Tuesday's match at Fir Park, called 'El Passico' due to both teams' open play styles, saw Motherwell outperform the Frenchman's team. Ibrahim Said and Elliot Watt scored on either side of halftime.
The 2-0 defeat, Celtic's 17th this year, meant Hearts stayed three points ahead in the league, while Rangers closed in, now just three points behind Nancy's squad after a 2-1 victory over St Mirren.
At the end of the game, visiting fans chanted for the board to be sacked, and some even demanded the manager's immediate dismissal. When asked if his first derby was a make-or-break moment, Nancy responded, No, not really. Every game matters to me and the team.
I'm not focused on my future. I'm focusing on what I'm doing now, what I need to do to help the team get better, and what we need to do as a team to improve. That's how I see it.
When asked if he understood the fans' deep worry about the lack of progress during his time, Nancy was indignant.
Progress? "There is progress," he insisted. But tonight, the situation and the opponent were tough.
This is a fact. Now, we need to figure out how to get better, and that's what we've been working on from the start. Tonight was rough. That's the truth.
When questioned about feeling the pressure after such a bad start as the champion's manager, Nancy added, As a manager, I don't want this, obviously.
Pressure doesn't change how I think. We know we have to perform well.
But right now, this is how it is. I knew it could be like this. We've had good games at times. Tonight was a hard one.
Regarding whether he was sure he could turn things around, Nancy said, Yes, I'm sure. I had to make some choices about the team tonight. I believe in what we're trying to do and where we're going. This was a hard game, difficult for us, but I think we'll improve.
Motherwell's manager, Jens Berthel Askou, praised his team, saying it was probably their best game of the season.
"We knew we'd probably need our best, most solid, and most complete performance, both with and without the ball, to win," he said.
We've had really big and good performances, but they haven't led to wins against Rangers or Celtic. So, that's what we got, and that's what we needed. It was amazing to see.