Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi has revealed why the team’s captain, William Troost-Ekong unexpectedly retired from Nigeria’s national team.

Iwobi said the defender was no longer playing as he would have wanted to play for his country.

Ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Troost-Ekong on Thursday announced he was leaving the Super Eagles despite his name being included in the provisional squad for the tournament in Morocco.

Troost-Ekong has already played 83 games in the colours of Nigeria and expected him to lead the team to the tournament that begins in less than two weeks.

Iwobi told SportyTV, the defender’s exit has created a huge vacuum in the team even though he had not featured regularly lately.

“Of course towards the end of his Nigerian career he wasn’t playing as much as probably he would like,” the Fulham midfielder said.

He added that the team will miss the leadership style of Troost-Ekong, and the way he brought them together as one family.

“So, he will be very missed, he was a big leader for us, and I am sure we have other leaders that can follow in his footsteps, but we all wish him well,” he added.