‘Ekong has to be put on the bench’ - Super Eagles legend tells Chelle to drop Nigerian captain for the playoffs

Troost-Ekong inherited the captain's armband from John Obi Mikel and has been a mainstay in the team. 

The defender also played a role in helping the Super Eagles clinch a World Cup playoff ticket, scoring against Lesotho.

However, he was dropped in the 4-0 win against Benin Republic due to his poor form, leading to intense scrutiny from fans 

Oliseh has expressed concerns that the player is past his peak and should be dropped to the bench in the Super Eagles team.

"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 personal YouTube channel. "It’s as simple as that. You get to play for the Super Eagles based on the results you bring in."

The former player pointed to recent defensive performances as evidence. He noted that Troost-Ekong's costly errors have become a recurring issue.

He cited a mistake that allowed Zimbabwe to score a late equaliser in a March 2025 qualifier and an own goal against South Africa last month.

"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," he observed. 

"The reality is very simple, you don't go into a game as a manager looking at sentiments. You play the best players."

"I'm saying it clearly, drop the captain and let him take a break," Oliseh continued. "I'm not saying don't take him to the World Cup, but for these games, he needs to rest. 

“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."