Super Eagles Stars Celebrate ‘Captain’ Wilfred Ndidi’s Birthday Ahead of AFCON 2025
- Super Eagles stars celebrate midfielder Wilfred Ndidi’s birthday at the team’s camp in Egypt ahead of the friendly match
- The Besiktas star is expected to be confirmed as the team’s new captain for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco
- Ndidi replaces former captain William Troost-Ekong, who announced his international retirement before AFCON
Super Eagles stars celebrate midfielder Wilfred Ndidi’s 29th birthday ahead of his confirmation as the team’s new captain for AFCON 2025.
Nigeria will face Egypt on Monday, December 16, 2025, at 7 pm, in preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the only friendly before the tournament.
Source: Getty Images
The match will no longer be an international game, but instead a preparation for both countries, after FIFA's regulation forced a postponement by a day.
Super Eagles stars celebrate Ndidi's birthday
Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi turns 29 today, December 16, which happens in the middle of an international assignment in Cairo, Egypt.
The Besiktas midfielder shared a post on his Instagram page, with the caption: “Grateful for the year that passed and for the ones to come.”
His current and former teammates, including Leon Balogun, Odion Ighalo, Ogenyi Onazi, Frank Onyeka, Kelechi Iheanacho and others, all sent birthday wishes to him.
William Troost-Ekong also congratulated his successor, while content creator Craze Clown called him “skippo”, subtly confirming the reports that he is the next captain.
Wilfred Ndidi’s rise to Super Eagles captaincy
According to OwnGoal Nigeria, Eric Chelle has approved Wilfred Ndidi to be the next Super Eagles captain, to be assisted by Moses Simon and Alex Iwobi.
Ndidi’s rise to captaincy is a win for the Nigerian football system, as he is one of the players who came through the youth football system and has participated in most international tournaments.
According to The Nation, he missed out on participating in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics after his club KRC Genk blocked him from joining the team.
He also did not participate in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup after the NFF dropped him as a precaution when an MRI detected that he was a little older than the threshold.
Source: Getty Images
He made his Super Eagles debut in October 2015, during a friendly against DR Congo and has racked up over 70 caps for the senior national team.
He is one of the most senior players in the team and, alongside Alex Iwobi and Francis Uzoho, is the only player in that AFCON 2025 squad to feature at a FIFA World Cup for Nigeria in 2018.
The former FA Cup winner moved to the Turkish Super League club Besiktas in the summer after running down his Leicester City contract.
Ndidi buys car for his wife's birthday
Legit.ng previously reported that Wilfred Ndidi brought a ₦300 million Bentley Bentayga for his wife, Chidinma Fortune, on her birthday.
The Super Eagles midfielder has been married to his long-term medical doctor and entrepreneur girlfriend since 2019, and they have a daughter together.
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Source: Legit.ng
