Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong has been honored with a Special Award at the African Nations Football Awards (ANFA) ceremony held in Cairo, Egypt, recognizing his exceptional performance at AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire.
Troost-Ekong earned the award for his standout role in the tournament, where he scored three goals, including a crucial strike in the final, although Nigeria ultimately fell 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast.
Throughout the competition, he was a commanding presence in defense, leading the Super Eagles to four clean sheets and demonstrating remarkable leadership on the pitch.
For his impressive displays, Troost-Ekong was named Player of the Tournament—the first defender to receive this honor in over 20 years—and secured a place in the Team of the Tournament.
Troost-Ekong holds the AFCON Golden Ball award. (Photo by DANIEL BELOUMOU OLOMO/AFP via Getty Images)
Acknowledging the recognition on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Ekong expressed his gratitude, posting a photo of the award and writing, “Thank you to my dear brother Omar Tarek for receiving this ANFA award for me in Cairo tonight.”
In addition to the ANFA award, Troost-Ekong is also in the running for the 2024 CAF Men’s Footballer of the Year award.
He will compete for the prestigious title alongside his Super Eagles teammate Ademola Lookman, who is currently a strong contender for the honor.
