Super Eagles vice-captain William Troost-Ekong has stressed that he played in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with an injury as he revealed when he is likely to return to full fitness.

William Troost-Ekong finished the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast as the best player of the tournament after leading the Super Eagles to a second-place finish.

The 30-year-old PAOK Salonica of Greece defender scored three goals during the tournament but couldn’t stop the hosts of the tournament, Ivory Coast from scoring two goals in the final.

Over a month after the tournament which ended on February 11, 2024, William Troost-Ekong revealed to CNN World Sports how he managed to play the 2023 AFCON with a torn bicep femoris.

He said, “I had a torn bicep femoris, which is basically the outside part of the hamstring. It happened during the tournament and I think I had a small tear initially in the second group stage game against Cote d’Ivoire. I managed to play on and then after the final I had another MRI, and we realised it was really ruptured.

“It was very sore playing with it, and I couldn’t really train after the second group game. I was just trying ice to keep the swelling down.

“I might do half an hour of training the day before each game, and then during the game, a combination of painkillers and adrenaline means you can get through it. The day after each game it was definitely showing as I was struggling to walk.”

William Troost-Ekong is currently undergoing a recovery process after he was operated on to treat a lingering injury.

Troost-Ekong told CNN that he is expected to be fit enough to return to the field in May which means that he is expected to be ready for football before the commencement of the 2024-2025 season.

This also means he should be available for the Super Eagles of Nigeria when the team take on South Africa and Benin Republic in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in June 2024.

“I should be back and fit again in May, but I think it’s probably season over. You never know how rehab will go but I don’t want to rush it because, at my tender age of 30, you have to be smart about these injuries,” Troost-Ekong said.

“I want to be 100% for next season, 100% right. If I can play at the end of this season that’s great, if not then I will be ready for next season.”

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