William Troost-Ekong, the former Super Eagles captain, has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the coaching staff, and the players to establish greater consistency if Nigeria are to compete at the highest level of international football.

The three-time Africa Cup of Nations champions have endured a troubled run in recent years, missing out on consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments and making an uncertain start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Nigeria edged Madagascar's Barea 2-1 at home in their opening qualifier before a sobering 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau's Wild Dogs exposed the team's fragility on the road.

Consistency from top to bottom

Troost-Ekong was direct in his assessment, arguing that the problems run deeper than the squad itself. "We are at a point where we need to see some consistency, I think, from the top down — from the federation to the coach to this group of players," he told beIN SPORTS.

The former Watford defender acknowledged that Nigeria possess abundant talent, but warned that raw ability alone cannot paper over structural cracks indefinitely. "The talent is there in abundance. What we see now is still some uncertainty about how things are prepared for the team," he said.

He was equally frank about the limits of relying on individual brilliance. "That consistency is number one. But I do think the team needs the structure and the backbone, and we can't just rely on the talent alone. I think we've managed to cover a lot of gaps over the years. But now, over time, those things will get exposed. They need to have the right structure around it."

Chelle appointment welcomed

Troost-Ekong offered a positive assessment of the NFF's decision to hand Eric Chelle a long-term mandate. "Appointing Eric Chelle for the long term has been a great thing to do. He's also in charge of the Olympic team, so he understands the young players coming through," the 33-year-old said.

He pointed to the growing competitiveness of African football as further reason for Nigeria to get their house in order. "For any team playing in Africa, the level is continuously increasing, also from the other teams. So you need to make sure you give yourself the best opportunity to win," Troost-Ekong declared.

He remains optimistic that Chelle's tenure can mark a turning point. "Now, with this coach, hopefully they can find some consistency and take the qualifiers seriously from the beginning. And then I think we're going to see some great things from Nigeria," he added.