The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Stephen Keshi Football and Vocational Training Center has on Wednesday November 16, 2021, appointed Super Eagles Vice captain and Watford FC defender, Williams Troost-Ekong as an ambassador of the center.
Recall that Ekong who has over 50 caps for the Super Eagles and two major tournament under his belt, late in October, while speaking to Watford’s media about his background said he made his national team debut under the man who led Nigeria to her third AFCON tittle and he was sad for not being able to say thank you to him before he passed away.
Ekong posited: “Stephen is someone close to my heart. He was my first manager with the Super Eagles, I made my debut under him and then sadly a few months later he passed away.
“I will be indebted to him for the rest of my life, and I feel like I didn’t have the chance to say thank you for that moment because he passed so suddenly,” the Haarlem born added.
In a letter dated 1st November, 2021 signed by Secretary to the Board of Trustee of the Vocational Training Center, Comrade Austin Popo and made available to Platinum News, SKFVTC registered her excitement for the acknowledgment and appreciation of late Stephen Keshi, by the former Netherlands U-20 defender.
William Troost-Ekong in action for the Super Eagles at the 2018 FIFA World Cup photo: google
“We bring you the unreserved compliments of the Board of Trustees,(BOT) of the Stephen Keshi Football and Vocational Training Center led by its Chairman Ex footballer Dr Brown Ogbeifun and Vice Chairman Ex International Tijani Babangida (Mon)”
“Let us first and foremost appreciate your Unconfined Contributions towards the overall development of football in Nigeria and the rest of the World through your superlative performances on and off the pitch playing for your club and the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
“Furthermore, your acknowledgment and appreciation of the contributions of late Stephen Keshi to football development and your personal career as widely reported in the media is equally highly commendable and applauded considering the huge number of footballers he has impacted their lives and careers across the globe.
“In view of your positive disposition of what Stephen Keshi means to football in Africa and the rest of the world, we consider it of great importance to inform you of the efforts we have put in place through the Stephen Keshi Football and Vocational Training Center (SKFVTC) AKA “THE NIGERIA FOOTBALLERS VILLAGE” project in Obazuwa, Benin, Edo State, established as a Sport and Vocational Training Center for the discovering and nurturing of budding Football talents, including the past three editions of the Stephen Keshi Annual Memorial lectures and the National Under 17 Football Tournaments, serving as platforms for immortalizing and preserving the legacies and contributions of the late Football legend, former Super Eagles Captain, and Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, A.K.A. “The Big Boss,” who passed on to greater glory on 7th of June 2016 in Benin, Edo State, Nigeria.”
The decision of the ‘BOT’ to the 28-year-old calm, but dedicated and hardworking defender, announcing him as an ambassador to the center, was however made known, a role the former Udinese defender is expected to start with immediate effect.
“Kindly permit me therefore, with all due respect to convey to you the decision of the Board of Trustees of the SKFVTC to appoint you as an AMBASSADOR of the SKFVTC with immediate effect. With this appointment it is our sincere believe it will provide you the opportunity to support the vision and aspirations of late Stephen Keshi, which is the discovery and development of budding Football talents in Nigeria as projected by the SKFVTC”
Ekong due to his flight schedule back to his base in England, could not be presented his certificate of appointment, but that and discussion of details of his assignment would be done at the next game with the Super Eagles, in Nigeria.
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