Former Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has announced his conversion to Islam, attracting widespread attention across Qatar and the wider Arab sporting community.
The 33-year-old defender, who currently plays for Qatar Stars League side Al-Ahli, reportedly embraced Islam after reciting the two testimonies of faith, known as the Shahada.
According to Al-Arab newspaper, Ekong made the declaration on Wednesday, with a video showing the Nigerian international reciting the testimonies subsequently circulating widely on social media.
The development has generated significant reactions among football fans and sporting circles in Qatar and other parts of the Arab world, where Ekong has established himself as a prominent African footballer.
Ekong has enjoyed a career spanning more than a decade, having played for clubs across several European leagues before moving to the Middle East.
He began his senior professional career in 2013 and went on to represent clubs in the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Turkey, Italy and England.
One of the notable periods of his European career came at Italian club Udinese, where he played between 2018 and 2020. He subsequently moved to England and spent three seasons with Watford from 2020 to 2023.
Ekong later continued his career in the Middle East. He joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Khaleej in the summer of 2024 before moving to Al-Ahli in Qatar in January 2026.
Since joining Al-Ahli, Ekong has made 14 appearances across all competitions, including one appearance in the current season.
Distinguished Nigeria Career
Ekong also enjoyed a distinguished international career with Nigeria, earning 83 caps for the Super Eagles between 2015 and 2025 and scoring eight goals.
He played a key role in Nigeria’s run to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, where the Super Eagles finished as runners-up.
Despite Nigeria’s defeat in the final, Ekong emerged as one of the standout players of the tournament and was named the competition’s Best Player.
The defender was also a key figure in Nigeria’s defence during the tournament and captained the team at various stages of his international career.
Ekong eventually announced his retirement from international football last November following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His decision to embrace Islam now marks a new chapter in the life of a footballer who has spent much of his career representing Nigeria at the highest level while playing across some of Europe and the Middle East’s most competitive leagues.
