William Troost-Ekong, who captained Nigeria in their opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) against Equatorial Guinea, has called on the fans to be patient with the team.
The 30-year-old played the full match as the Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on Sunday, 14 January.
Jose Peseiro’s side was stunned early in the game when Iban Salvador put Equatorial Guinea in the lead with a well-taken finish.
However, Nigeria hit back almost immediately, with Victor Osimhen connecting to Ademola Lookman’s cross to restore parity two minutes later.
‘Don’t give up on us’ – the plea to Super Eagles fans
Although the Super Eagles created many more chances in the game, they failed to convert as Equatorial Guinea snatched an important draw.
Troost-Ekong believes Nigeria did enough to have walked away with the victory, insisting the entire team was disappointed not to have won.
The POAK defender further appealed to the supporters to continue to back the national team despite their disappointing result.
“I just want to say thank you for the support for the guys that came out there. Of course, we’re disappointed, we feel the same way as you guys, we wanted to win today, but I think we have to look at the positives,” Troost-Ekong said after the game.
“We created a lot of chances, and on another day we would have won that game, and will be very motivated for Thursday. Don’t give up on us.”
Nigeria boosted by Moffi's arrival
With Nigeria preparing to take on hosts Ivory Coast in their second Group A game, the team has been boosted by the arrival of Terem Moffi.
The OGC Nice forward was handed a late call-up as a replacement for the injured Victor Boniface, but his arrival was delayed due to commitments to his club.
However, the 24-year-old, who has scored six goals and provided two assists in 17 Ligue 1 matches, has now arrived on camp and could play a role in the Super Eagles’ second group game against Ivory Coast on Thursday.
