Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has admitted that he attempted to convince Canada striker Promise David to commit his international future to Nigeria instead of Canada.
The Ontario native flirted with Nigeria before switching his international allegiance to his country of birth, making his debut for Nigeria's Olympic national team in a 2023 U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania.
David required Fifa's approval to represent Canada because the matches he played for Nigeria's U23s were competitive fixtures, and he received the green light to change his sporting nationality in February 2025.
Despite initial fears that he would miss the World Cup due to a serious injury that required surgery, Promise was named in Canada’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
The Royale Union Saint-Gilloise man has made a splash at the ongoing tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, scoring or providing an assist in both matches he has featured in after coming off the bench.
Troost-Ekong confirmed that he held conversations with the promising attacker about the possibility of playing for the Super Eagles.
"His rise has been meteoric, and of course, he is of Nigerian descent, so we had a conversation about playing for Nigeria. I tried my best to convince him," Troost-Ekong said on SuperSport, as monitored by allnigeriasoccer.com.
Troost-Ekong also praised David after he made an instant impact by scoring in Canada's 2-1 loss to Switzerland in their final group game of the 2026 World Cup.
"He took his chance so well. Coming on, I think that was his first touch, and to score a goal is amazing. For them, it also adds another layer of depth in the attacking third."
David is not the only player with a Nigerian background named in Canada's World Cup squad,
with former Flying Eagles invitee Owen Goodman and Abuja-born forward Tani Oluwaseyi also named in the final roster.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
Copyright ANS
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from allnigeriasoccer.com
Discussions (0)