Nigerian defender William Troost-Ekong has hit back at criticism from former colleagues Troy Deeney and Michael Lahoud following Nigeria’s 4–1 victory over Gabon in Thursday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff semifinal in Morocco.

Both Deeney and Lahoud had publicly questioned Troost-Ekong’s leadership before the match. However, the Super Eagles’ dominant display on the field left little room for doubt. Troost-Ekong came off the bench to contribute to a convincing win and help Nigeria advance to Sunday’s final against DR Congo.

In a video shared by Victor Modo, Troost-Ekong dismissed Lahoud’s comments as ill-informed and disrespectful.

“I found it very disrespectful. I even had to Google what he was saying about me, and if he had taken the time to research, maybe he would have said something different,” he said.

The defender emphasized that leadership within the Super Eagles is collective. “We have several leaders in this team. Victor Osimhen is a leader in his own right, and we also have Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, and Moses Simon. There are players really stepping up and showing what they can do. You can’t just erase someone’s contribution because they’re on the bench. I have 83 caps for Nigeria,” he added.

Troost-Ekong also addressed Deeney directly, noting his disappointment. “Regarding Troy Deeney, I was a bit disappointed. I supported him when he captained Watford, and I went on to captain that same team. He could have simply picked up the phone and called me. If he didn’t respect me, then perhaps we should take back the Nigeria shirt I gave him,” he said.