Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has announced his conversion to Islam. The 33-year-old defender, who currently plays for Qatar Stars League side Al-Ahli, reportedly embraced Islam after reciting the two testimonies of faith, known as the Shahada.
According to Al-Arab newspaper, Ekong made the declaration on Wednesday, with a video showing the Nigerian international reciting the testimonies immediately circulating on social media.
Ekong has enjoyed a career spanning more than a decade, having played for clubs across several European leagues before moving to the Middle East.
Since joining Al-Ahli, Ekong has made 14 appearances across all competitions, including one appearance in the current season.
The Nigeria national football team represents Nigeria in international men’s football. Governed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), they are three-time Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winners, with their most recent title in 2013.
In February 2024, the Nigerian national football team was ranked 28th in the FIFA rankings. The team has qualified for six of the last nine FIFA World Cups, missing only the 2006, 2022 and 2026 tournaments.
They have reached the round of 16 on three occasions. Their first World Cup appearance was in the 1994 edition. The Nigeria Football Federation is affiliated with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations but were successful in their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, qualifying for the final tournament in South Africa after an 8–3 aggregate win over Liberia. They defeated Burkina Faso 1–0 in the final to lift the Cup for the third time.
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