Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has called for greater consistency across Nigerian football, arguing that the country needs stronger structures and better organisation to make the most of the talent available to its national teams.

Troost-Ekong made the remarks as concerns continue to grow around Nigeria’s recent results and the wider administration of the country’s football.

The defender acknowledged that Nigeria continues to produce high-quality players competing at major clubs across Europe and elsewhere, but suggested that individual talent alone cannot compensate for weaknesses in planning, organisation and continuity.

His comments come at a difficult period for the Super Eagles. Nigeria missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing to DR Congo in the African play-off final, meaning the team will miss successive World Cup tournaments. The Super Falcons have also missed the 2027 Women’s World Cup, ending their participation in the first nine editions of the competition.

Troost-Ekong expressed support for the decision to retain Eric Chelle and give him responsibilities beyond the senior men's team. Chelle agreed a new contract in June and was also handed responsibility for the Olympic Eagles as Nigeria prepares for the qualification campaign for the 2028 Olympic Games.

The arrangement gives Chelle responsibility across two levels of the men's national-team structure, with the intention of creating greater continuity between the senior and U-23 sides.

Troost-Ekong's call for consistency comes as the Super Eagles face another important qualification challenge in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

Nigeria began the qualifying series with a 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar on September 25, with George Ilenikhena scoring the equaliser before Moses Usor completed the turnaround.

However, the Super Eagles suffered a heavy setback four days later when Guinea-Bissau defeated them 3-0 in Uyo. The result left Guinea-Bissau with six points from their opening two matches, while Nigeria remained on three points.

The structure of Group L makes the situation particularly significant. Tanzania are one of the three co-hosts of the 2027 AFCON alongside Kenya and Uganda and already have a place at the tournament. As a result, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar are competing for the single additional qualifying place available from the group.

The Super Eagles therefore face a demanding qualification campaign, with the team needing to recover from the defeat to Guinea-Bissau and finish above the other non-host nations in the group.

Troost-Ekong's wider argument is that Nigeria's football system needs to create an environment where the quality of its players can consistently translate into results. His position places emphasis on continuity in leadership, coaching structures and football administration rather than relying primarily on the individual ability of players.

His comments also come after significant changes at the NFF. NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and other members of the federation's executive leadership resigned in August following mounting criticism over the performances of Nigeria's national teams.

The NFF subsequently faced the task of establishing new leadership while the national teams continued their competitive schedules.

For the Super Eagles, attention is now focused on the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign and the need to recover from the Guinea-Bissau defeat. For Nigerian football more broadly, Troost-Ekong's comments have added to an ongoing conversation about how the country's considerable player talent can be supported by stable administration, long-term planning and continuity.