"Having first visited his father's home town of Uyo in Akwa Ibom state as a child, the Nigeria captain was given a particularly special welcome when he returned last summer for a charity tournament he had organised. My surname, Ekong, really resonates with them because it's from a very specific place, says the former Watford defender, who plays for Al-Kholood in Saudi Arabia, the eighth country he has lived in during a career that began in Tottenham's academy"
"The Troost-Ekong Foundation, established after he was named player of the tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast last year, has been supporting local orphanages and has provided equipment to help local children return to education and resources for a group of under-15 teams in the region. William Troost-Ekong scored the opener for Nigeria in the 2024 Afcon final but Ivory Coast came from behind on home soil to win their third title."
William Troost-Ekong returned to his father's hometown of Uyo in Akwa Ibom state and received a warm welcome that strengthened his connection to his family roots. He set up the Troost-Ekong Foundation after being named player of the tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations, directing support to local orphanages, educational equipment for children, and resources for under-15 teams. The foundation aims to form a representative state team to compete in domestic and potentially international tournaments to increase exposure for local players. Troost-Ekong received a philanthropy and humanitarian award for the foundation's work and scored Nigeria's opener in the 2024 AFCON final.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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