Wilfred Ndidi: Super Eagles can’t afford to falter against Bafana Bafana

Super Eagles defensive midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has said the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa on June 7 in Uyo is a must-win for the three time African champions. Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the Leicester City of England star spoke on Victor Osimhen’s absence for the clashes with South Africa and Benin Republic, Ademola Lookman’s chances of winning the 2024 African Best Player Award and transfer speculations involving him.

You were not at the last African Cup of Nations (AFCON), how did you feel watching the final against Cote d’Ivoire?  

I was really proud of the team. They did extremely well. Looking at the final, it was a bit of a shame but I am still proud of the team. The difference between both teams in the final was the fact that the Ivorians were like a bigger squad and most of the players did not play in the group stage but if you look at our team, it was the same players playing, it was not easy.

I am so proud of them because their focus and mentality were so strong and they got to the finals. It was just unfortunate we lost in the final.

What do you think about the new Super Eagles coach? 

Congratulations to him. I think he is going to do well with the support from everyone. The last game we played in Morocco, it was quite difficult for him because he was alone. There was no assistance. He was the one doing the tactics and analysis but now I think they brought more support for him. I looked forward to working with him. We have worked together before and he is an amazing man.   

Ahead of the two World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic, are the Super Eagles under pressure?  

To be honest if we are being honest with ourselves, I think the team is under pressure because we drew both games and those were difficult games but if we have gotten a win in both games, I think we would have been much better going into this one. But all the same is football, and I think the pressure that comes with this one is actually exciting at some point because we know what we have to do. We know it is a must win. We have to try and win. So I think we just need to stay focused and then do our best and then try to win the games. 

How do you rate the Super Eagles against South Africa?

To be honest, I would say South Africa is a good team. At the AFCON, it was a very good team. They gave us a tough fight. It was a penalty shootout. I think the AFCON is past, we do not look towards that direction because a team you played at the AFCON might be a different team when we were facing them now. 

Your club is back to the premier league, can you describe your experience playing in the championship?

The championship is hard. It is difficult having to play sometimes three games in two weeks, weekends and weekdays traveling up and down through the country.

It is really very difficult but it is a good experience because sometimes when you are in the Premier League you don’t appreciate what you are missing but then going down to the Championship was an eye opener for us.  

You played as an attacking midfielder at Leicester City, which has enabled you to score goals. How will that impact the national team knowing that you will still be a defensive midfielder?  

To be honest, we have our coach, Finidi. He knows what he wants us to play. The role I played in Leicester was attacking midfield, but I still came back to helping the defense, which is normal, you know, natural for me. But I do not know what the coach (Finidi) is going to do, how to approach the game against South Africa, but wherever it puts me, I am so excited to do my best and just try to do my best to make the team win.

There is a lot of speculation about you heading to Lyon, Juventus, Barcelona and Sevilla.  Have you been contacted?

Yeah, of course I have been. I just want to try to see how me and my family are going forward. And the decision will be made in the coming weeks. I don’t know the clubs yet. So, hopefully we will see. There is nothing hidden under the sun. We will see what comes out in the coming weeks.

The Super Eagles are playing South Africa without their main striker, Victor Osimhen. How much will he be missed?  

Victor is a great player. I call him a hustler, I call him a street footballer. He is hustling everywhere. You never relax on Victor even as a defender. I think it is going to impact the team because he drives the team forward. But we have so many strikers who also can, in their own style, bring different dynamics into the team. So, I just feel like, yeah, we will miss him but I think this is not just the time to start thinking. This is just the time to act and try to win the game. And then, I wish him a quick recovery when he comes back, he is always part of the team. 

Looking at the form of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, what would you say are their chances of winning the next African Footballer of the Year award? 

In all honesty, I think Ademola stands the chance to win it hopefully but they are both great players. But I just feel like Ademola’s got a better chance.   

Can you describe the relationship between the Nigerian and Ghanaian players at Leicester City?  

Football is incredible. What we see online is different from what we do when we play football. Football is different. You know, like football, we unite everyone. I think as players, we understand that when you are playing football, it does not matter which country you are from, it is just the game, you know, the focus is on the game. And everyone wants to win. So I think football just unites everyone.   

Former Super Eagles coach Genrot Rohr is in charge of the Benin Republic national team. How is this going to affect the outcome of the match with the Cheetahs?  

To be honest, as I said earlier in my answer to the question on the South African game, you know, the team you play in the AFCON, it might not be the same team you’re playing in the coming weeks. So for me, I will not comment on that one. I would just say the main focus now is just South Africa. That is the most important thing. The most important is to try to get a victory against South Africa. And then we look forward to Benin. So we cannot be thinking about two games in the space of one week. So the main focus now is against South Africa.