Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong responds to Troy Deeney and Michael Lahoud’s criticism after Gabon win

Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has responded to criticism from former Watford teammate Troy Deeney and retired Sierra Leone international Michael Lahoud, following victory over Gabon in the crucial 2026 World Cup playoff.

Deeney and Lahoud criticized Troost-Ekong’s leadership style prior to the game against Gabon on Thursday, with Super Eagles players boycotting training over unpaid bonuses.

However, Troost-Ekong, who came off the bench to help secure Nigeria’s emphatic 4-1 win after extra-time, had taken a swipe at Deeney and Lahoud, describing their comment as both uninformed and disrespectful.

“I thought it was very disrespectful. I had to Google who he was talking about me, and I think that if he had done his research about me, maybe he would have come out with a different explanation,” Troost-Ekong told reporters in Rabat.

The Super Eagles captain also emphasized that leadership within the squad is shared among several key players, including Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, and Moses Simon.

“We have multiple leaders in this team. Victor Osimhen is a leader in his own right, and we also have Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, and Moses Simon,” he said.

Troost-Ekong reserved his strongest reaction for former Watford teammate Troy Deeney, expressing disappointment that Deeney would publicly question his leadership despite their shared history at the club.

“And also for my teammate, I was slightly disappointed because I supported him when he was the captain of my team at Watford. I’ve also gone on to captain Watford. So again, you could have just picked up the phone and called me,” he added.

In a pointed finish to his response, Troost-Ekong even suggested reclaiming a gift he had once given Deeney.

“If he didn’t respect me, then maybe we should take away the Nigeria shirt that I gave him,” Troost-Ekong said.

With Nigeria now securing their spot in the CAF World Cup qualifying final, the Super Eagles will focus on Sunday’s decisive playoff clash against DR Congo, aiming to book their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.