‘May Allah grant mercy to the deceased; we extend our condolences to our footballer Wilfred Ndidi, his family, and loved ones’.

Ndidi captained Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he also scored his first international goal for the country.

While celebrating his headed goal against Tunisia in Nigeria’s second group match, the midfielder referenced his father and his admiration for former Nigeria captain Kanu Nwankwo.

Ndidi told journalists in Morocco: ‘The celebration came from my dad because he was always talking about Kanu Nwankwo.

‘So I just thought about my dad. I had seen the video before, but it came to my head, and I said I was going to do it for my dad’.

Ndidi, who often speaks about growing up with his father in the barracks, was born and raised in Lagos.