The movement of Nigerian footballers across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East has exposed many players to different cultures, languages and religious communities.
Over the years, there have been reports of Nigerian footballers who embraced Islam while playing abroad or after spending considerable time in predominantly Muslim countries. However, the circumstances surrounding each case are different, and it is important not to assume that a player's move to an Arab club automatically resulted in a change of religion.
One of the latest and most prominent examples is former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, whose reported conversion to Islam in Qatar in September 2026 has attracted widespread attention in Nigeria and beyond.
Here is a look at some documented Nigerian football cases, including the years in which the conversions were reported.
1. William Troost-Ekong — 2026
The most recent case is that of former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, who was reported to have embraced Islam in Doha, Qatar, in September 2026.
Reports published on September 23, 2026, said the Nigerian defender recited the Shahadah, the Islamic declaration of faith, while in Doha. Qatari newspaper Al-Arab was among the outlets cited in the reports, while footage of Troost-Ekong reciting the declaration subsequently circulated online.
Troost-Ekong's conversion is particularly notable because of his status as a former captain of the Nigerian national team and one of the country's most recognisable defenders of the past decade.
Born in the Netherlands to a Nigerian father and Dutch mother, Troost-Ekong chose to represent Nigeria internationally. He made his Super Eagles debut in 2015 and eventually earned 83 international caps. He was part of Nigeria's squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and several Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
His most memorable international tournament came at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria reached the final. Troost-Ekong scored three goals during the competition and was named Player of the Tournament.
His club career eventually took him to the Middle East. He joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Kholood in 2024 before moving to Qatar Stars League side Al-Ahli in January 2026. It was while based in Doha that the reports of his conversion emerged.
Importantly, reports available at the time did not establish that his move to Saudi Arabia or Qatar was the reason he became Muslim. Muslim News Nigeria specifically reported that neither Troost-Ekong nor his representatives had publicly explained what influenced his decision.
Therefore, the established facts are that he was reported to have recited the Shahadah in Doha in 2026 and that the development occurred during his period playing in the Gulf region. The personal reasons behind his decision remain private unless he chooses to explain them publicly.
2. Emeka Ezeugo — 2014
Another Nigerian football personality reported to have embraced Islam is former Super Eagles player Emeka Ezeugo.
In February 2014, reports stated that Ezeugo had converted to Islam and adopted the name Mustafa Mohammed. According to the account published at the time, Ezeugo said that he had studied different religions and was particularly inspired by the life of Prophet Muhammad.
The report said that Ezeugo went before a Muslim cleric with people associated with his club environment before formally embracing Islam.
Unlike Troost-Ekong's case, however, Ezeugo's conversion did not take place at an Arab club. The contemporary report connected the event with his time in Bangladesh and his association with Mohammedan Sporting-related figures. Therefore, describing him as a Nigerian who "converted because he joined an Arab club" would not accurately reflect the available evidence.
Ezeugo's story nevertheless remains relevant to the wider history of Nigerian footballers encountering Islam during overseas careers.
3. Kabir Prince Bello — reported conversion during his overseas career
Former Nigerian striker Kabir Prince Bello is another name associated with conversion to Islam.
Bello, who was born in Lagos in 1983, played professionally in Nigeria before moving abroad. His career included a significant period in Iran with Sepahan, where he played from 2004 to 2008.
Available biographical records identify Bello as a convert to Shia Islam. His career also included football in Indonesia and Bangladesh.
His case is particularly interesting because Iran is a Muslim-majority country, but it is not an Arab country. Consequently, his story should be described as a Nigerian footballer who embraced Islam during his overseas football journey rather than as a player who converted specifically after joining an Arab club.
The distinction matters because "Arab country" and "Muslim-majority country" are not synonymous.
A different category: Nigerian players who were already Muslims
There is also an important group that should not be confused with converts: Nigerian footballers who were already Muslims before moving to Arab countries.
One prominent example is Ahmed Musa.
Musa was already a Muslim before his move to Saudi Arabia. In 2014, while playing for CSKA Moscow, he travelled to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage. He later joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in 2018. Contemporary Nigerian Muslim media reports described him as a Muslim and documented his pilgrimage to Makkah.
Therefore, Musa should not be listed among Nigerian footballers who converted to Islam after joining an Arab club. His Saudi Arabian experience was instead a continuation of a faith he already practised.
Why the distinction is important
The stories of Nigerian footballers and Islam in the Middle East can easily become mixed together because Saudi Arabia and Qatar are strongly associated with Islam and because many Nigerian footballers have played in the region.
But the available evidence points to several different situations:
First, some Nigerian players were Muslims before moving to Arab countries.
Second, some Nigerian footballers embraced Islam while pursuing football careers abroad, but not necessarily in Arab countries.
Third, there are cases such as Troost-Ekong where a conversion was reported while the player was actually based in an Arab country.
Fourth, the available reports do not always establish the reason for a conversion. It is therefore safer to report what the player or reliable sources actually said rather than assume that a club, teammates, supporters or the surrounding culture caused the decision.
Troost-Ekong's 2026 development brings the issue back into focus
Troost-Ekong's reported conversion is significant because it occurred during a period when he was playing in Qatar.
The former Super Eagles captain joined Al-Ahli in January 2026 after his spell in Saudi Arabia. By September, reports from Qatar and Nigeria were circulating that he had recited the Shahadah in Doha.
The development generated considerable interest among Nigerian football supporters because Troost-Ekong had spent years representing the Super Eagles and had served as national-team captain.
At the same time, his conversion remains a personal religious decision. The currently available reports document the Shahadah and the announcement of his embrace of Islam, but they do not provide a confirmed personal explanation from Troost-Ekong about what motivated the decision.
2000s — Kabir Prince Bello:
Bello's professional career took him from Nigeria to Iran, where he played for Sepahan. Biographical records identify him as a convert to Shia Islam.
2014 — Emeka Ezeugo:
Reports announced that the former Nigerian footballer had embraced Islam and adopted the name Mustafa Mohammed. His reported conversion was connected with his time in Bangladesh rather than an Arab club.
2014 — Ahmed Musa's pilgrimage:
Musa travelled to Makkah for pilgrimage while still playing in Russia. He was already Muslim, so this was not a conversion.
2018 — Ahmed Musa joins Al-Nassr:
Musa moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr, continuing his career as an already practising Muslim.
2024 — Troost-Ekong moves to Saudi Arabia:
The former Super Eagles captain began his Middle Eastern club career in Saudi Arabia.
January 2026 — Troost-Ekong joins Al-Ahli in Qatar:
He moved from Saudi Arabia to Qatar Stars League club Al-Ahli.
September 2026 — Troost-Ekong reportedly embraces Islam:
Reports from Qatar and Nigeria stated that the former Super Eagles captain recited the Shahadah in Doha.
The history of Nigerian footballers and Islam abroad is more diverse than the simple claim that players "joined Arab clubs and converted."
The documented stories show different paths. Kabir Prince Bello is identified as a convert during an overseas career that included Iran. Emeka Ezeugo publicly discussed his decision to embrace Islam in 2014 while associated with football in Bangladesh. Ahmed Musa was already Muslim before moving to Saudi Arabia. And in the latest development, William Troost-Ekong was reported in September 2026 to have recited the Shahadah while playing in Qatar.
Troost-Ekong's case is particularly significant because of his former position as Super Eagles captain and his long international career. Yet the reason behind his religious decision remains personal and has not been publicly established in the reports currently available.
For Nigerian football, the stories provide another example of how players' careers can take them across different cultural and religious environments — while also showing why each individual's personal journey should be reported according to documented facts rather than assumptions.
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