Wilfred Ndidi will captain the Super Eagles at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after he was officially appointed William Troost-Ekong’s successor on Friday, Completesports.com reports.
Troost-Ekong announced his retirement from international football earlier this month.
Ndidi was handed the armband for the Super Eagles’ 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs in Rabat last month.
The 28-year-old is one of the most experienced players in the Super Eagles.
Ndidi Ready To Lead
“It’s a huge responsibility, with the help of the players everything will be smooth,” Ndidi told the Super Eagles media.
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“I have had conversation with a couple of the players, just to let them know the reason why we are here . I also need their support as well, including the staff, we are all in this together.
“We have conversation on the task ahead, and it is important for us to be together on the same page.”
Kind Words For Troost-Ekong
Ndidi also showered encomium on his predecessor, Troost-Ekong.
“As a great leader, he stands for the team, he takes everything for the team, he speaks for the team. I admire him a lot , how outspoken he is. He is someone everyone in the team look up to. He is that guy that stands for the team. He is an amazing guy, I learnt a lot from him,” added Ndidi.
“We spoke a couple of days ago, he gave me some advice, I feel like he is still part of the team. He is going to be missed.”
By Adeboye Amosu
3 Comments
Ndidi is not a bad choice to lead the team but let it be known that Moses Simon is the most senior member of the team. Those lousy folks that come online should maintain the same decorum when it doesn’t favor them.
If Ndidi is considered ahead of Simon based on capacity, Osimhen can be considered ahead of others based on commitment and moral.
This Ndidi hmmm. I like him as a person but i dont like his aura. S. E may never achieve anything meaning under his umbrella . He doesn’t command the requisite influence of an S.E captain. Be that as i may, all fingers crossed.
This is a development that will anger and perplex many fans who do not see Ndidi as the one to captain the Super Eagles into an era of revival.
Some fans, to my astonishment, advocate for Victor Osihmen to be the next captain for the Super Eagles. Victor Osihmen? That loose cannon. That tinder box waiting to explode at any time. Not for my money. I don’t have to be a fan of Osihmen, Osihmen does not need my fandom. He has enough fans to last him 5 lifetimes, so, I might as well keep my patronage to myself.
But, honestly, the captainship requires level-headedness. A cool, calm and collected article with latent, hidden explosiveness which, for me Ndidi brings.
My only concern is that Ndidi is at the twilight of his career. He peaked around 2018 to 2021 and has now plateaued towards a downward trajectory.
Nigeria is blessed with a truckload of centre or defensive midfielders, many yet to be discovered. My worry is that, will there not be pressure to play Ndidi as captain whereas players like Tom Dele-Bashiru, Tochukwu Nnadi of even Benjamin Frederick can do a far better job?
I stand by my view of Ndidi being a good choice for the here and now. But that should not make him an automatic starter. Far too many defensive midfielders are coming up the ranks that it will be suicidal to hang on to Ndidi well beyond his sell-by date.