Super Eagles of Nigeria assistant captain William Troost Ekong has revealed how he was able to play until the final of the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The lanky defender sustained an injury in the second group match against Ivory Coast but he was able to play all the games except the 3rd group game against Guinea Bissau.
The Paok Salonika told CNN Sports that he had to play with painkillers and also observe a few minutes of training.
“I had a torn bicep femoris, which is basically the outside part of the hamstring. It happened during the tournament and I think I had a small tear initially in the second group stage game against Cote d’Ivoire. I managed to play on and then after the final I had another MRI, and we realised it was really ruptured,” he recounted.
“It was very sore playing with it, and I couldn’t really train after the second group game. I was just trying ice to keep the swelling down.
“I might do half an hour of training the day before each game, and then during the game, a combination of painkillers and adrenaline means you can get through it. The day after each game it was showing as I was struggling to walk”, he added.
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