Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong’s exclusion from the CAF FIFPro Best XI has sparked outrage among football fans, with many questioning the credibility of the selection process.
The defender, who was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations and earned a place in the AFCON Best XI, was surprisingly overlooked in favour of Kalidou Koulibaly and Chancel Mbemba in the continental team unveiled in Morocco on Monday.
Despite an impressive season that saw him keep 14 clean sheets in 28 matches for Greek side PAOK as they claimed the Greek Super League.
Ekong emerged as the second-highest-rated defender in the Greek Super League with an average rating of 7.02, but the Nigerian captain failed to make the CAF best XI.
Fans took to social media platform X to express their displeasure at the decision, with many highlighting the inconsistency in excluding the AFCON MVP from the team of the year.
“This CAF Men’s Team of The Year is a JOKE because how is Koulibaly in that team ahead of Ekong who won the best player in AFCON 2023. We are proud of you, our captain,” Ayo Marvel wrote.
Another fan, Napaul, questioned, “William Troost-Ekong was the AFCON player of the tournament, how come he was nowhere to be found during the CAF Awards?!”