Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has lost his father, Sunday Ndidi, who died on Tuesday following a road accident.
The retired military officer was reportedly involved in a crash in Umunede, Delta State, and was confirmed dead after being rushed to a hospital in Agbor, also in Delta State.
Ndidi’s club, Besiktas, confirmed the incident in a statement released on Tuesday.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our footballer Wilfred Ndidi’s esteemed father, Sunday Ndidi, in a fatal traffic accident,” the club said via its official X account.
“May Allah grant mercy to the deceased; we extend our condolences to our footballer Wilfred Ndidi, his family, and loved ones.”
Ndidi recently 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 paid tribute to his father and his admiration for former Super Eagles captain Kanu Nwankwo.
“The celebration came from my dad because he was always talking about Kanu Nwankwo,” Ndidi told journalists in Morocco.
“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.
