He confirmed the decision in an emotional Instagram post on Thursday, expressing gratitude for representing the nation.
“Honoured. Grateful. Forever a Super Eagle. Playing for Nigeria has been the greatest privilege of my life,” Troost-Ekong wrote. “The journey may end here, but my support never will. Here’s to the next chapter.”
The announcement followed reports by football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, noting that Troost-Ekong, after 83 caps, three medals, and participation in five major tournaments, would no longer feature for the national team.
Born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and Nigerian father, Troost-Ekong initially represented the Netherlands at youth level before committing to Nigeria.
He debuted for the Super Eagles on June 13, 2015, in an AFCON qualifier against Chad.
Troost-Ekong scored eight goals in 83 appearances, with five at the AFCO, a record for a defender in the tournament’s history.
His final appearance came on November 13 as a late substitute against Gabon.
Recently, Troost-Ekong’s involvement under coach Eric Chelle had reduced, and he was an unused substitute during the World Cup play-off defeat to DR Congo.
He had been named in Nigeria’s provisional 54-man AFCON squad, with the final list to be trimmed to 28 players.
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