Beginning of the end for Wilfred Ndidi Super Eagles career?

Leicester City ace Wilfred Ndidi has exerted an ever-present aura since earning his big break back in 2017. The midfielder has been undroppable at times for club and country but seems to have lost that invincibility in recent months.

Ndidi is yet to feature for the Super Eagles since Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro took over as the team’s manager. The defensive midfielder last featured for the Super Eagles at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, with an injury ruling him out of the 2022 World Cup playoff double-header against Ghana and the internationals in June, as well.

The 25-year-old left the Super Eagles camp in Constantine to return to Leicester City with an injury. When asked, Peseiro revealed that Ndidi had informed the medical team that he felt discomfort in his hamstring and he felt it unwise to risk the player in a friendly match. However, rumours have emerged to cause questions to arise.

Sources around the team said that the Portuguese manager was uncomfortable with Ndidi’s ability on the ball and ball progression, and as a result, would have preferred him to play as a central defender. According to Sulaiman Folarin, this decision did not go down well with the midfielder, and he decided to leave the camp altogether. Ndidi quickly quashed the rumour via his own Twitter account.

At his club this season, Wilfred Ndidi has had to play as a central defender on occasion, with Brendan Rodgers preferring to play Boubakary Soumare at the base of his midfield. Ndidi’s deficiency in possession was once again put under the microscope when he cheaply gave away possession in his last match for Leicester City to allow Rodrigo Bentancur score for Tottenham Hotspur.

Wilfred Ndidi has held an untouchable status for club and country for five years, and while he remains an excellent tackler and ball winner, his ability on the ball attracts some questions. With the recent emergence of Belgium-based duo of Raphael Onyedika and the uncapped Alhassan Yusuf, his place in the Super Eagles setup may not be untouchable, afterall.