Former Nigerian international, Ifeanyi Udeze, has expressed disappointment over the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to omit Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong from the 2024 CAF Team of the Year.
Troost-Ekong delivered a stellar performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. He was instrumental in Nigeria's run to the final, where he scored the opening goal in their narrow 2-1 loss to Cote d’Ivoire. Despite Nigeria losing just one match in the tournament, Troost-Ekong's absence from the Africa Best XI has sparked debate.
Speaking on Brila FM, Udeze argued that Troost-Ekong’s MVP accolade should have guaranteed his inclusion in the prestigious lineup.
“Troost-Ekong is the AFCON MVP; why isn’t he on the Africa Best XI? He doesn’t need a vote; his place should be automatic,” Udeze stated.
The exclusion has raised questions about the criteria used by CAF in selecting players for the Team of the Year, particularly when an MVP of a major tournament is overlooked.
Troost-Ekong’s standout performances during AFCON 2023 were widely praised, and many fans and analysts share Udeze’s sentiment, calling for greater transparency in CAF’s selection process.
No comments:
Post a Comment