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30-year-old Nigerian defender and skipper, William Troost-Ekong has become the first player to debut eco-friendly boots at a major tournament.
The PAOK FC center back wore the boots during Nigeria’s opening fixture against Equatorial Guinea at the ongoing African Cup of Nation (AFCON) competition on Sunday, January 14.
Troost-Ekong who served as the Super Eagles skipper for the day against Equatorial Guinea donned the customized Sokito boots in the encounter.
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Equally, the vegan-friendly boots made from bio-based materials including bamboo, sugarcane, corn waste and other sustainable materials.
The veteran center-back currently plying his trade with Greek outfit PAOK admits that this might be his last AFCON and his own words, “there is a lot of hype around the national team and I wanted to use it to get the message across that you can wear a sustainable boot, support this cause and still have a very good footballing boot that works exactly as it should”
The Nigerian international is one of tens of professional footballers who have invested in the boot company, accompanying the likes of former Watford players Craig Cathcart, Adrian Mariappa, Tom Cleverley, Dutch footballers Luuk de Jong and Siem de Jong amongst others.
Sokito Founder, Jake Hardy, confirmed that the announcement of Troost-Ekong in the Nigerian squad required the brand to do something in a bid to celebrate the defender’s achievement.
In his lengthy career that has spanned over 9 countries, Ekong who has played in Nigeria and across the continent for the Super Eagles and witnessing first hand in the effects of air population in the region. He hopes this bold actions can kick-start a movement to be more environmental conscious and make a change now and in the years to come.
The Nigerian vice-captain has become some sort of activist over the years. Asides putting is money in this venture, he has also donated to olive tree planting, choosing to fly economy over business class to support the venture.
As the Nigerian national team continue their tournament exploits, he is hopeful that more attention would be drawn to the cause and trigger big name footballers to take action.
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