Former Super Eagles skipper William Troost-Ekong has disclosed that he once attempted to convince Canadian forward Promise David to represent Nigeria at the senior international level.
David, who was born in Ontario, was eligible to play for Nigeria through his heritage and had initially featured for Nigeria’s U23 side in a 2023 Africa U23 Cup of Nations qualifying match against Tanzania. However, he later opted to commit his international future to Canada.
Because his appearances for Nigeria’s Olympic team came in official competitive fixtures, the striker required FIFA authorization to change his sporting nationality. The approval was granted in February 2025, clearing him to represent Canada.
The Royale Union Saint-Gilloise attacker has been one of Canada’s standout performers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making an impact off the bench in both of his appearances by either scoring or providing an assist.
Speaking about the player’s decision, Troost-Ekong revealed that he personally discussed the possibility of joining the Super Eagles with the talented forward.
“His development has been incredible. Given his Nigerian roots, we spoke about the prospect of him playing for Nigeria, and I did everything I could to persuade him,” Troost-Ekong said during an interview with SuperSport.
The former Nigerian captain also praised David’s contribution in Canada’s final group-stage match, where the striker found the net despite his side’s 2-1 loss to Switzerland.
Galaxy Sports Production
Should we send you latest update about your favourite sports and team?
Enter you email in the box below and hit the subscribe button to join our teaming 876+ sports community.
