"I always have it with me. I take care not to displace it," Ekpo said. "After showing it to my teammates I'm going to keep it in my bank just to keep it safe."
Ekpo was part of the Nigerian squad that lost 1-0 to Argentina in the gold medal match on Aug. 23. After the Olympics concluded, he and his teammates flew home to be recognized and rewarded handsomely by the government.
"Every match there was a bonus. Far more than what I make here, I promise you," he said.
The Crew had expected Ekpo to arrive back in Columbus at the beginning of the week. But Ekpo said celebratory plans in Nigeria were revised, forcing a change in his itinerary.
"It was a big deal. We were supposed to meet with the president of the country but when we got home he had already left for Mecca so we met with other dignitaries like the governor of the state and top members, the ministers," Ekpo said. "We were humbly welcomed. People were happy."
For a while, the Crew had to wonder if Ekpo would ever make it back.
"I had no problem with him taking a week off, it was just with the changing of certain things they did and the delays, he's here about three days later. We wanted him here on Monday," coach Sigi Schmid said. "We're happy he's back. We're proud of what he accomplished in China. He's a player that's going to help us down the road."
Nigeria went 4-1-1 in the tournament, including a 2-1 victory against the United States when he played against Crew teammate Robbie Rogers. The loss eliminated the Americans.
"It would have been great to score a goal. I missed a chance. I was unhappy the United States didn't make it through the first round," Ekpo said. "Afterward Robbie and I talked a lot and exchanged our jerseys. It was one of those things, not everybody is going to qualify. It might be him. It might be me. That's the game of soccer."
Ekpo entered in the 70th minute of the gold medal game but couldn't help Nigeria get the equalizer against Argentina. Still, it was a great experience for the 20-year-old.
"It was really nice. Going to the Olympics and coming this far, most importantly getting a silver out of it, my country is very happy," he said. "We showed the world we have talented players in Nigeria. We had the opportunity to get the gold medal but it just went off our fingers. I'm obviously grateful for the silver medal. It's OK. I'm happy. This was my first major tournament for Nigeria and showing the rest of the world when the time comes I give my best."
Ekpo, who has missed five Crew matches since his last appearance on July 17, has returned at a good time. The Crew have won three in a row to move into first in the Eastern Conference but New England can regain the top spot Saturday with a win in Crew Stadium. The Crew will be without forward Alejandro Moreno and defender Frankie Hejduk because of World Cup qualifiers.
"It helps. It gives us another option," to have Ekpo back, Schmid said.
Although Ekpo had earned his way into the starting lineup on the right flank before leaving and has two goals for the season, he will be a reserve Saturday.
"He's going to play off the bench. I don't see him starting this weekend. He can come off the bench and give us a good 20 to 30 minutes at the end," Schmid said.
That's fine for now with Ekpo. "The team is doing pretty good. I've come back to make sure we stay in first place again," he said.
Ekpo draws pride from Olympic success
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