Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has congratulated Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong on his retirement from international football, praising him for an “illustrious and exemplary career” defined by dedication, discipline and leadership.

Troost-Ekong, who earned more than 80 caps for Nigeria, announced his retirement on Thursday after a decade-long service to the national team.

The defender was the standout performer at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, where he was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) and set a record as the highest-scoring defender in a single edition, netting three crucial goals as Nigeria finished runners-up.

Speaking through the Honourable Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, Governor Eno commended the Akwa Ibom–born star for his outstanding contributions to Nigerian football and for representing the state with honour on the global stage.

“On behalf of my family and the people of our dear state, I sincerely congratulate our son, William Troost-Ekong, who has been a worthy ambassador of Akwa Ibom and Nigeria, both as a player and as captain of the national team,”
the governor said.

He added that Troost-Ekong’s achievements have inspired millions of football lovers across Nigeria and beyond:

“Your commitment to excellence and exemplary sportsmanship remain a shining model for younger generations. As you call time on your illustrious international career, I wish you a new chapter filled with continued success and meaningful opportunities.”

Governor Eno also extended his best wishes for Troost-Ekong’s ongoing club career with Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League, commending his perseverance and professionalism throughout his journey across Europe and the Middle East.

Troost-Ekong’s career has spanned several countries and leagues. After developing at Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur’s youth academies, he signed his first professional contract in the Netherlands with FC Groningen and FC Dordrecht.

 He later played for KAA Gent, Norwegian side FK Haugesund, Bursaspor in Turkey, Udinese in Italy, Watford in England, Salernitana, and PAOK in Greece before his 2024 move to Al-Kholood.

Governor Eno concluded by reaffirming the pride of Akwa Ibom people in Troost-Ekong’s achievements:

“Thank you for representing Nigeria with honour, courage and distinction. We are proud of your milestones. Congratulations.”

Troost-Ekong retires as one of Nigeria’s most influential captains of the modern era, leaving behind a legacy of leadership and exceptional commitment to the national cause.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

By Kunle Solaja

Fifty-three years after General Yakubu Gowon cut the tape to inaugurate the Lagos National Stadium on December 4, 1972, the once-celebrated sporting cathedral stands today as a symbol of faded grandeur—its crumbling concrete and abandoned facilities whispering tales of a glorious past Nigeria has struggled to preserve.

For a generation, the stadium was the beating heart of Nigerian sport. It hosted the 2nd All Africa Games in 1973, the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations—where the Green Eagles lifted their first continental title—and even returned to the spotlight for matches, including the final, of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations. Its lush green pitch, roaring crowds and imposing architecture once placed it among Africa’s most admired arenas.

But the story of the Lagos National Stadium is now a study in neglect. From the seats installed during Nigeria’s aborted rush to host the 1995 FIFA U-20 World Cup, now reduced to tired relics, to the giant electronic scoreboard that looms like a dead black carcass over the eastern stand, the venue has long since lost its shine.

A Legacy in Decay

The pitch, once a carpet of green, became so poor by the late 1980s that Ethiopia’s youth team—after a 1987 World Youth Championship (Under 20 World Cup) qualifier—dismissed it as fit “only for horse races.” Since, it has deteriorated even further, with grass turning from green to yellow, then brown.

Yet, despite its condition, the stadium still sits prominently on the Lagos mainland—a haunting reminder of how national monuments can decay when maintenance culture fails.

Around the world, nations flaunt their sporting heritage through grand stadiums that are maintained, modernised and cherished. Brazil’s Maracanã, Europe’s iconic arenas, and Morocco’s fast-expanding, world-class stadium network—now attracting global competitions—illustrate how infrastructure shapes sporting excellence.

Some of these stadiums date back to the early 20th century but remain fully functional, thanks to regular upgrades. Lagos, however, tells a different story.

A Monument Built on Ambition

The origins of the National Stadium trace back to 1951, when land for the project was first acquired. The earliest version was a timber-based terrace built for the 1960 Independence celebrations and the West African Games.

The modern structure only took shape after Gowon laid the foundation stone on March 14, 1970, following years of administrative delays and shifting designs.

Construction wasn’t without challenges: shortages of steel, substitution of materials, and Lagos’ lack of cranes tall enough to reach the 62-metre floodlight towers demanded improvisation from engineers.

The floodlights towers have since been removed after one the four collapsed in 2023.

Still, by early 1973, just in time for the 2nd All Africa Games, the stadium emerged—a saucer-shaped masterpiece with 12 ramps, 72 exit points, and a capacity of 50,000 spectators. That figure later dropped to 39,858 when individual seats replaced concrete terraces ahead of the planned 1995 youth tournament.

From Sporting Cathedral to Social Hangout

What was once Nigeria’s premier multi-sport arena now survives mainly as a social hub—hosting workouts, informal gatherings, and occasional religious events. The sporting roars that once shook its foundations have long since faded.

The stadium last welcomed the Super Eagles on April 30, 2004, when a largely home-based Nigerian side lost 1–0 to Senegal in an LG-sponsored friendly. Since then, the national team has moved on. The stadium has not.

Instead, street urchins, informal traders and fitness groups roam the grounds once graced by Africa’s finest athletes.

A Mirror of Nigeria’s Sporting Culture

The decline of the Lagos National Stadium reflects a broader national challenge: the struggle to sustain infrastructure, preserve heritage and match ambition with maintenance. The stadium remains a landmark—not for its present glory, but for what it once was and what it could have remained.

At 53, the Lagos National Stadium lives on, not as a world-class arena, but as a cautionary tale—an ageing monument caught between memory and neglect, glory and ruin, history and uncertainty.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

By Kunle Solaja.

Seventeen years after the death of Haruna Ilerika, the diminutive, left-footed wizard who lit up Nigerian football in the 1970s, his legacy continues to resonate — and today’s date underscores that bond even more powerfully.

December 4 not only marks the anniversary of Ilerika’s death; it is also the anniversary of the opening of the National Stadium, Lagos — an arena whose maiden match he helped illuminate in 1972.

As Nigeria faced Mali that day, a young Ilerika stepped onto the turf of the brand-new stadium, unaware that the moment would become a defining chapter in both his career and the arena’s history. Today, he and several others who featured in that opening fixture — captain Godwin Achebe, later-day skipper Victor Oduah, first scorer Yakubu Mambo, Sunday Oyarekhua and more — have all passed on, leaving behind a fading but cherished era of Nigerian football brilliance.

Football historians often point out the striking parallels between Ilerika and the iconic Tesilimi “Thunder” Balogun.
Ilerika was born in 1949 — the exact year Balogun made his international debut for Nigeria.
And in 1972, the year Balogun died, Ilerika in turn made his own national team debut.

Two footballing eras, linked almost poetically. Long before capturing the hearts of Nigerian fans, Ilerika was already a sensation at Zumrattul Islammiyah Grammar School. Together with fellow small-statured talent Tajudeen Ajagun, they earned the title of “terrible twins” in the Lagos Principals’ Cup — a partnership that terrorised defences and drew crowds across the city.

His club career began modestly at Patterson Zachonis (PZ) FC, before he moved to Metal Construction FC and later to Stationery Stores. By March 1971, the creative schemer had earned his place in the star-studded Stores lineup, quickly becoming one of their most admired players.

Despite his frame, Ilerika was a giant of technique. His game blended quick thinking, swift movement, close ball control and trademark body-swerves that left opponents helpless. Fans often described him not just as a footballer, but as a one-man performance act — an artist with the ball at his feet.

His talent translated seamlessly to the national stage. After an impressive debut against Mali on November 22, 1972, he went on to earn 30 caps for Nigeria, with his final appearance coming in a goalless draw against Sierra Leone in 1976.

Ilerika was central to Nigeria’s triumph in the 1973 All-Africa Games in Lagos, where his bustling pace and creativity helped the country secure gold.

One of his most memorable international performances came three years later at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia, where he scored two crucial equalisers against Egypt. His grace on the pitch even won admirers off it — one Ethiopian fan famously handed him her necklace as the Nigerian team boarded their bus after the match.

His brilliance earned him a spot in a special CAF Afro-Latin America squad in 1973, coached by Ghana’s Charles Kofi Gyamfi and Algeria’s Rachid Mekhloufi — a rare honour for a Nigerian footballer of that era.

A Legacy Forever Linked With Lagos Stadium

As the National Stadium, Lagos, marks yet another anniversary, memories of the players who helped christen its turf return to the spotlight. Among them, Haruna Ilerika remains one of the most unforgettable — a diminutive maestro who played bigger than his size, thrilled crowds with artistry, and etched his name into the soul of Nigerian football.

Seventeen years after his passing, the echoes of his genius still linger — a reminder that true legends never really leave; they simply keep playing.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H