by Edward Oseghe
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong’s omission from the CAF FIFPro Best XI has sparked widespread outrage among football fans, with many questioning the credibility of the selection process.
Troost-Ekong, who was crowned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and earned a spot in the AFCON Best XI, was surprisingly left out of the CAF team in favour of Kalidou Koulibaly and Chancel Mbemba. The announcement was made during the CAF Awards ceremony held in Morocco on Monday.
The Nigerian defender had an exceptional season, keeping 14 clean sheets in 28 matches for Greek club PAOK, leading them to the Greek Super League title. He also emerged as the second-highest-rated defender in the league, with an impressive average rating of 7.02. Despite these achievements, Troost-Ekong was not included in the CAF Best XI.
Fans took to social media platform X to express their frustration, highlighting the inconsistency of excluding the AFCON MVP from the Team of the Year.
Ayo Marvel wrote, “This CAF Men’s Team of the Year is a JOKE because how is Koulibaly in that team ahead of Ekong, who won the best player at AFCON 2023? We are proud of you, our captain.”
Another fan, Napaul, questioned, “William Troost-Ekong was the AFCON Player of the Tournament, how come he was nowhere to be found during the CAF Awards?!”
Ethan echoed a similar sentiment, writing, “So all these weren’t good enough for my boy William Troost-Ekong to be in the CAF XI? It’s really embarrassing.”
Onejoblessboy added, “Best player at the AFCON but not on the Team of the Year? William Troost-Ekong ROBBED.”
The CAF Best XI included Nigerian stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, alongside Man United goalkeeper Andre Onana, Moroccan Achraf Hakimi, Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Chancel Mbemba (Ivory Coast), Mohamed Kudus (Ghana), Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco), Franck Kessie (Ivory Coast), Yves Bissouma (Tottenham), and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
The decision to omit Troost-Ekong, however, continued to draw sharp criticism, with many fans suggesting potential bias in the continental awards.
SportsDokita voiced his bewilderment, saying, “Troost-Ekong, AFCON Player of the Tournament but not good enough to be in the CAF Best XI ahead of Koulibaly.”
Samson Babajide Fayoyiwa also criticized the goalkeeper’s inclusion, writing, “Why is Onana there? On what basis? Why is Ekong, the MVP of the Nations Cup, missing? CAF and their controversial decisions.”
Aliyu Suleiman expressed disbelief, stating, “Ekong, Player of the Tournament, but he’s not here? You have to be joking.”
Shaban Salla said, “No William Troost-Ekong? He was the MVP at AFCON.”
The 31-year-old defender, who scored three goals during the AFCON 2024 campaign and played a key role in PAOK’s league triumph, was also nominated for the FIFA Best XI but ultimately missed out on the final shortlist.
