Siasia Slams Eagles Coach for Benching Troost-Ekong in Crucial Rwanda Clash

|By Babatunji Wusu

Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has criticized Eric Chelle’s decision to drop captain William Troost-Ekong ahead of Nigeria’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Uyo on Saturday.

The Malian tactician, who leads Nigeria’s campaign, opted to replace Troost-Ekong with Belgium-based defender Benjamin Fredrick—a move Siasia described as disappointing.

Speaking on DStv’s SuperSport, the former Nigeria striker and Olympic coach stressed that Troost-Ekong’s experience and leadership should have been pivotal in a high-stakes encounter.

“I’m not happy about this Troost-Ekong being dropped,” Siasia said. “I would have liked him to start because of his experience. He’s a great leader. Let’s just say it’s a tactical thing.”

Nigeria, who must defeat Rwanda to keep their World Cup hopes alive, will be banking on a strong performance to avoid a setback on home soil.