Soccer News of Friday, 17 October 2025

Ekong flaunts customised gold-plated iPhone 17 after Super Eagles reach World Cup playoff

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong flaunted his latest iPhone 17 on social media after helping Nigeria book their World Cup playoff spot.

Troost-Ekong is nearing the end of his time with the Nigerian national team and has accepted a part-time role to give rise to young emerging stars.

He played the full 90 minutes and scored during the Super Eagles’ 2-1 win over Lesotho in Polokwane, but was an unused substitute during the 4-0 win over Benin Republic.

The Dutch-born defender can breathe a sigh of relief after the Super Eagles kept their World Cup hopes alive, having been at the centre of costly blunders recently.

His lapse in judgement against Zimbabwe led to the late equaliser, and he also scored an own goal during the 1-1 draw against South Africa.

Some sections of the fanbase had already pointed to these errors when it looked like the Super Eagles might miss out on the Mundial.

The team will reconvene in November for the CAF playoffs, a three-day mini-tournament in Morocco to decide Africa's representative at the intercontinental playoff.

🇳🇬📱⚱️Super Eagles Captain, William Troost-Ekong showcased his customized 24 Karat Gold IPhone 17 via his SnapChat.
Football Money >>> 😮‍💨#troostekong #supereagles #williamtroostekong pic.twitter.com/Bb5jA43Vvf
— Football Fans Tribe 🇳🇬 ⚽ (@FansTribeHQ) October 16, 2025

Ekong returned to his base in Ar Rass, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after the international break in Nigeria and linked up with his club Al-Kholood. The Harlem-born defender flaunted his customised gold-plated iPhone 17 with the inscription ‘Ekong’ at the back on his Snapchat story.

Fans on social media joked that the captain probably bought the iPhone XR remodelled into a 17 amid a recent controversy in Nigeria.

However, others were quick to dismiss this because Ekong has been a top-level professional for over a decade and currently earns a significant salary in Saudi Arabia, as noted by The Athletic.

The former Watford defender was not the only Super Eagles star to have acquired the latest Apple product; striker Victor Osimhen was also spotted with the iPhone 17.