Nigeria’s Super Eagles Captain Wilfred Ndidi Loses Dad In Fatal Accident

Nigeria’s Super Eagles captain and Beşiktaş midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has been thrown into mourning following the death of his father, Sunday Ndidi, who reportedly died in a tragic road traffic accident.

The Turkish Super Lig giants, Beşiktaş, confirmed the development in an official statement released on Tuesday.

“We have learned with great sadness that our player Wilfred Ndidi’s beloved father Sunday Ndidi has lost his life in a tragic traffic accident,” the club said.

The club added, “We pray for the deceased and extend our condolences to our player Wilfred Ndidi, his family, and his loved ones.”

In a separate condolence message, Beşiktaş also stated, “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. May Allah grant mercy to the deceased; we extend our condolences to our footballer Wilfred Ndidi, his family, and loved ones.”

Details surrounding the circumstances of the accident were not disclosed as of the time of filing this report.

Ndidi, who is one of Nigeria’s most prominent football exports, has enjoyed a distinguished career in Europe and remains a key figure in the national team setup.

The player was among the team that represented Nigeria in the just concluded African Cup of Nations 2025 in Morroco.

During the tournament, Wilfred Ndidi promised to personally pay his teammates their outstanding win bonuses if the government fails to deliver the funds as promised before Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal against Algeria.

“I’ve now made a commitment to the staff and players that I will personally pay the bonuses if the authorities don’t do it before Saturday,” the 30-year-old Ndidi told Oluwashina Okeleji.

“I don’t want this unpaid bonuses to affect our preparations.”

The pledge came as Nigeria’s Federal Government announced on Thursday it has overhauled its payment processes for Super Eagles bonuses following a threatened boycott by players ahead of the crucial knockout match.

Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, Minister of State for Finance, said the government and Central Bank of Nigeria have implemented changes to foreign exchange processing to prevent future payment disputes that have repeatedly plagued the country’s senior national team at major tournaments. (SaharaReporters)