Super Eagles vice-captain William Troost-Ekong had the Swedish great caged for the entire duration of the game, but Milan still eked out a thrilling 3-2 victory at the San Siro.
Ekong won the battle of wits against former Barcelona and Manchester United forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a performance that delights the 26-year-old.
After bringing an end to his time in the United States, Ibrahimovic, 38, had made a classy return to the Serie A, scoring against Cagliari.
With all the headlines focused on the former PSG superstar to deliver the goods, he was surprisingly kept quiet by Troost-Ekong. However, a late Ante Rebic strike earned AC Milan a 3-2 victory against a Udinese side that had won their previous three league games.
But despite the painful loss, Troost-Ekong is pleased with his performance during the difficult encounter, although he believes Ibrahimovic remains a difficult opposition player.
“We are happy with the performance but angry because we would have deserved more,” the former Bursaspor defender told Udinese TV as quoted by Mondo Udinese.
“In the last few minutes, we weren't as focused as we usually are and unfortunately we conceded goals. I think if we play all the games like this we can still win many points but we must keep the moment.
“Ibrahimovic? He is a very strong player, it was a difficult game but in one on one, I think I have held up well. Too bad it didn't end well,” Troost-Ekong added.
The Super Eagles defender and his Udinese mates will aim to get back to winning ways when Luca Gotti's men make the trip to the Stadio Ennio Tardini to trade tackles with Parma in a Serie A matchup on Sunday.
