By Saheed Afolabi
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has strongly backed Nigeria’s Wilfred Ndidi following criticism over his tackle on Cole Palmer during a recent Premier League clash.
Ndidi, who plays as a defensive midfielder for Leicester City, was involved in a controversial challenge in the 22nd minute when he brought Palmer down from behind.
The tackle sparked calls from Chelsea fans for a red card, with some feeling it was a dangerous challenge.
However, Maresca disagreed with the negative perception surrounding Ndidi’s actions and praised the referees for their decision to issue a yellow card rather than a dismissal.
“I don’t think Cole is the target. I don’t think that,” Maresca stated in his post-match comments.
“I’m not saying Wilf [Ndidi] had bad intentions because I really like Wilf. If there’s bad intention, then the punishment should be different.”
The Chelsea manager also questioned the fairness of some critics, including club legends and fans, who had called for Ndidi’s expulsion, suggesting that the reactions were biased.
“I don’t think so. I saw the clip and I don’t think it is a red, to be honest. The other one [vs Manchester United] I said that was a red card, for sure.”
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
