Beşiktaş midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has been appointed as the new captain of the Super Eagles ahead of the African Cup of Nations in Morocco.
PUNCH Online reports that this was made known in a post on the Super Eagles’ handle on Friday.
“Wilfred Ndidi has been named captain of the Super Eagles and says the responsibility means everything as Nigeria heads to Morocco,” the post read.
Ndidi’s first assignment will be leading the three-time African champions as they push for glory at AFCON in Morocco.
To achieve that, the player knows that unity is key and is rallying his teammates to back themselves to victory in the Maghreb.
“It’s a huge responsibility, and with the help of the players, I think everything will go smoothly,” the former Leicester City player told the Super Eagles media team.
“I’ve had a conversation with a couple of players, just some of the older players. You know, just try to make them understand the reason why we’re here. Also, you need the support from the staff. We’re all in this together,” Ndidi said.
The player’s appointment came in the wake of the retirement of William Troost-Ekong, the team’s stand-in captain, and Ahmed Musa, who was the leader of the pack.
While Musa had yet to feature for Nigeria for several months and was an unused substitute in the 2023 AFCON, Troost-Ekong’s retirement from the national team came as a surprise to many fans in the country.
The defender was named in the Super Eagles’ preliminary squad for the 2025 edition of the continental showpiece but called time on his Nigerian career before the final list of players was released.
Nigeria are in Group C of the 2025 AFCON alongside Tanzania, Uganda, and Tunisia.
The Super Eagles’ first game is on December 23.
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