Sunday Oliseh Backs Wilfred Ndidi for Leadership Role, Urges Super Eagles Coach to “Grow Stubborn” Ahead of AFCON 2025

Former Nigeria captain and midfield legend Sunday Oliseh has thrown his support behind Wilfred Ndidi to provide strong leadership for Nigeria as the team gears up for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicking off this month.

Ndidi’s form has been questioned in recent years, with several shaky performances costing the Super Eagles at key moments. However, Oliseh — who also had a brief spell as national team coach — insisted that the Besiktas midfielder enjoys immense respect within the squad and has already shown signs of being a natural leader.

“At the moment, I think nobody doubts the respect the players have for Ndidi. And he’s a player that plays every game,” Oliseh said on the Oliseh Insight Podcast.

“I am not trying to push for who is going to be captain, but I think Ndidi is already the captain anyway because he captained the last game.”

Oliseh urged the team’s leader — whether Ndidi or otherwise — to follow the examples set by himself and the late Stephen Keshi by taking initiative and rallying the squad.

“That is, don’t wait for the NFF to start calling the players to come to camp. You as a captain… you call the players privately and let them know, ‘Boss, me, I am getting to the camp.’”

On Nigeria’s chances at the tournament, the former Juventus and Dortmund midfielder expressed confidence but issued a strong warning to the coaching staff.

“I am very optimistic that the Super Eagles can do well at this tournament. The first thing the manager has to do is he has to grow a little bit stubborn,” he stressed.

“He has to grow stubborn because it is no secret that people from outside will try to influence who plays and who doesn’t. I think he has to stand his ground and show personality that he is responsible.”

Nigeria will compete in Group C, where they face Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania as they seek their fourth continental title.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.

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