Oliseh: Bench Troost-Ekong for World Cup Playoffs

Former Nigeria captain and two-time World Cupper Sunday Oliseh has issued a strong warning to Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle and the Nigeria Football Federation: if the team is serious about qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, William Troost-Ekong must be dropped from the starting lineup for the upcoming playoffs.

Oliseh, who briefly managed Troost-Ekong before stepping down in 2016, expressed serious doubts about the 32-year-old defender's current form. Critics have increasingly scrutinized Troost-Ekong following a string of errors, including one that led to a late equalizer against Zimbabwe in March 2025 and an own-goal against South Africa last month.

The former Ajax and Juventus midfielder pointed to the team's defensive record when Troost-Ekong has not featured. "If we want to have a bright chance of going to the World Cup, Troost-Ekong has to be put on the bench," Oliseh stated on his YouTube channel. “It’s as simple as that. You get to play for the Super Eagles based on the results you bring in.”

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Oliseh stressed that sentiment should play no role in squad selection, urging Chelle to focus purely on merit. He noted, “If you look at the last three or four games we played, the two matches Troost didn't feature in, we didn’t concede a goal... The reality is very simple, you don't go into a game as a manager looking at sentiments. You play the best players.”

He concluded his plea by saying, “I'm saying it clearly, drop the captain and let him take a break... The team needs it, the psychology of the group needs it. At the moment, we play better when our captain isn't on the pitch.”