FORMER Nigeria international, Peterside Idah has launched a scathing attack on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over what he described as the poor and insensitive handling of Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong’s international exit, alleging that the defender was effectively pushed out of the national team rather than retiring of his own free will.
News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Idah, a former goalkeeper who was part of Nigeria’s national team setup in the past, accused the football federation of mismanagement and leadership failure, insisting that Troost-Ekong’s departure could and should have been delayed until after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Speaking in an interview with Footy-Africa, Idah said the circumstances surrounding Ekong’s decision were “absolutely badly handled,” claiming the defender was “sacrificed” by administrators at a critical moment for Nigerian football.
“The Nigeria Football Federation did not handle Ekong’s situation well,” Idah said. “They handled it badly, absolutely badly. I’ve been in and around that team, and even before he announced his retirement, I knew they were going to sacrifice him.”
Idah questioned the logic behind allowing one of the team’s most experienced defenders and serving captain to walk away just weeks before a major continental tournament.
“How can your central defender and one of your best players want to retire before the Nations Cup, and you simply let him go? It is absolute madness,” he added.
According to Idah, the federation should have persuaded Ekong to remain available until after AFCON 2025, giving him the opportunity to bow out on a high note, potentially lifting the trophy or guiding a younger generation through the tournament.
“They should have told him to wait until after the tournament so he could go out on a high. But due to bad leadership, I don’t think he retired voluntarily. I believe they pushed him,” he said.
Troost-Ekong’s retirement announcement came at a turbulent time for the Super Eagles. The 32-year-old stepped away from international football shortly after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a painful playoff defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in Morocco.
That failure was compounded by unrest within the squad, as players boycotted training sessions ahead of the decisive playoff match over unpaid bonuses and allowances.
The standoff sparked widespread debate, with some fans criticising the players’ timing, while others pointed fingers at the NFF for what they described as long-standing administrative inefficiencies and neglect of player welfare.
Despite the loss of the team’s captain and defensive leader, Idah expressed confidence that the Super Eagles still possess enough experience and leadership to cope without Ekong.
“Wilfred Ndidi is obviously there and could replace him,” Idah noted. “There is also Victor Osimhen and Alex Iwobi. These are experienced players, and leadership should not be a problem.”
Born in the Netherlands to a Dutch-Nigerian family, Troost-Ekong was eligible to represent either country but chose to commit his international future to Nigeria. He made his Super Eagles debut in 2015 and went on to earn more than 80 caps, becoming one of the most consistent defenders of his generation.
His crowning moment came at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, where he captained Nigeria to the final and emerged as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, despite the Super Eagles’ 2-1 defeat to the host nation in the final.
Ekong’s five goals at the tournament set a historic record as the highest tally ever by a defender in AFCON history, further cementing his legacy as one of Nigeria’s most impactful centre-backs.
Notably, Ekong had been named in coach Eric Chelle’s expanded 54-man provisional squad for AFCON 2025 on December 2. However, just two days later, he announced his retirement from international football, bowing out before the final 28-man squad list was released.
With Ekong’s exit, Nigeria’s defensive options heading into the 2025 AFCON include Calvin Bassey of Fulham, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi of Hull City, Bright Osayi-Samuel of Birmingham City, Bruno Onyemaechi of Olympiakos, Chidozie Awaziem of Nantes, Zaidu Sanusi of Porto, Igoh Ogbu of Slavia Prague, and Ryan Alebiosu of Blackburn Rovers.
The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group C of the tournament alongside Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda.
Nigeria will open their AFCON 2025 campaign against Tanzania on December 23, before taking on Tunisia on December 27, and concluding the group stage against Uganda on December 30.