ormer Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, has singled out Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong for praise following Nigeria’s 2-1 win over Lesotho.
He hailed the defender’s composure and leadership after the centre-back took the responsibility of playing the spot kick that gave Nigeria the lead in South Africa on Friday.
Recall that the Super Eagles captain was heavily criticised by fans and pundits in recent months over his poor performances in the qualifying series.
Troost-Ekong was blamed for Zimbabwe’s late equaliser during a qualifier in Uyo in March 2025.
He scored an own goal in Nigeria’s 1-1 against South Africa last month.
The defender returned to Chelle’s starting lineup on Friday due to injury crisis as Benjamin Fredrick was moved to right-back.
“This game is more of mental because at this point in time if you begin to panic you might lose it easily. And with the Nigeria spirit that I know they will have to push until the end,” Akpeyi said on SuperSport.
“They’ve proven it here, they came up with a strong mentality. First half was goalless and they had to push themselves to make sure that they get the three points.
“For Troost-Ekong to step up because I know how many times he was criticized for the last game that they played. Now for him to step up to take that penalty, it’s something that only senior players can do.”
Nigeria will be hoping to beat the Cheetahs of Benin Republic on Tuesday to brighten their chances of playing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, USA and Mexico.