Goal scoring centre-backs are a delight because they put in the shift back and forth for the team and Nigeria has not had one consistent enough to stay on the scene since Joseph Yobo.
There was a time when Yobo would step forward during set plays and you were certain he’d score or at least come close to it.
He may not have scored as many goals as Stephen Keshi (9) for Nigeria in his 101 caps, but the 7 he notched was okay.
Another player in that mould is Efe Ambrose. He has played half the number of games as Yobo, but with a slightly better average on goals return (4).
Efe’s return to the Super Eagles is not certain and Joseph Yobo bowed out of international football with his head high, so to whom does the mantle now fall?
William Troost-Ekong it may seem.
At 24 his stock in trade as a tough defender is on the rise, but so is his eye for goals now.
Albiet he has not contributed any in his senior appearance for Nigeria or at any other level, but he can walk out in the shoes of Yobo or even more ambitiously those of Sergio Ramos or John Terry.
Over the weekend, the player notched up his first goal for Bursaspor in his fifth appearance for the club and they won 4-2 against Yeni Malatyaspor.
Troost-Ekong pulled the rifle in front of goal, finding himself in a position after a poor attempt by a Yeni defender to head clear from a corner.
https://youtu.be/bAVKgOHQVC4
He may not be a striker, but it is also not often you find defenders picking their spots like the 24-year-old did on that occasion.
Indeed, he requires to work harder to even reach the levels of the players referenced, but Troost-Ekong cuts the cloth as a natural, should he accept the challenge.
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