By Our Reporter
Former South Africa international Shaun Bartlett has identified Wilfred Ndidi as Nigeria’s most influential player at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, overlooking headline stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi.
Bartlett described the Super Eagles midfielder as the team’s unsung hero, insisting that Ndidi’s contributions in the heart of midfield have gone largely unnoticed despite their importance to Nigeria’s success at the tournament.
The former Leicester City midfielder missed Nigeria’s semifinal clash against Morocco in Rabat due to suspension, having picked up two yellow cards earlier in the competition. His absence was felt immediately, as the Super Eagles struggled to assert control in midfield.
Prior to the semifinal, Nigeria had won all their matches, scoring 14 goals on their way to the last four. Against Morocco, however, the Super Eagles were second best in possession for the first time at the tournament, underlining how much they missed a natural ball-winning midfielder.
With Ndidi unavailable, Nigeria’s attacking unit, led by Osimhen, Lookman, Akor Adams and Iwobi, found it difficult to impose themselves as the Atlas Lions effectively disrupted their rhythm.
Bartlett believes Ndidi’s role has been overshadowed by the attention given to Nigeria’s attacking stars.
“When we watch Nigeria and Ndidi plays, nobody really talks about it. We always speak about Lookman and Osimhen,” Bartlett said on SuperSport’s AFCON podcast.
“It’s the most overlooked position. Around the world, players like Sergio Busquets, Claude Makélélé, N’Golo Kanté and Roy Keane did the hard, dirty work, but it’s usually the attackers who get the praise.
“Against Morocco, you could see they needed someone calm and steady in midfield. We praised Iwobi for his passing, but Ndidi was quietly doing his job.”
Ndidi also marked a personal milestone at the tournament by scoring his first goal for Nigeria during the Super Eagles’ emphatic group-stage victory over Tunisia.
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