William Troost-Ekong, the vice-captain of the Super Eagles, has revealed how he dealt with an injury during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. The 30-year-old defender sustained the injury during Nigeria’s second group match against the hosts.
Although he missed the team’s final group game against Guinea-Bissau, Troost-Ekong returned to play every minute of Nigeria’s remaining four matches in the competition. Despite the injury, he managed to score three crucial goals for the Super Eagles and was ultimately named the Player of the Tournament.
In an interview with CNN World Sports, Troost-Ekong shared insights into how he handled the injury.
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“I had a torn bicep femoris, which is basically the outside part of the hamstring. It happened during the tournament and I think I had a small tear initially in the second group stage game against Cote d’Ivoire. I managed to play on and then after the final I had another MRI, and we realised it was really ruptured,” he recounted.
“It was very sore playing with it, and I couldn’t really train after the second group game. I was just trying ice to keep the swelling down.
“I might do half an hour of training the day before each game, and then during the game a combination of painkillers and adrenaline mean you can get through it. The day after each game it was definitely showing as I was struggling to walk.”
He underwent surgery for the injury last month and is expected to return to action in May. Troost-Ekong’s resilience and contribution to the team’s success at AFCON 2023 exemplify his commitment to the sport.
