The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi remains eligible to face DR Congo in Sunday’s decisive CAF World Cup playoff fixture.
Ndidi received a yellow card in the sixth minute of Nigeria’s 4-1 win over Gabon on Thursday, raising concerns that he would miss the next match due to accumulation.
Clarification on card rules
CAF’s communication, shared via the Super Eagles’ official X page, clarified that Ndidi’s earlier booking, issued during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying group stage match against Rwanda, cannot be carried into the playoff phase. As a result, his card tally does not trigger a suspension.
This interpretation differs from the case of South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena, whose two bookings both came during the qualifiers, ultimately ruling him out of their crucial match.
Midfielder in strong form
Ndidi delivered one of his standout performances for Nigeria against Gabon, completing his passes efficiently, controlling midfield and providing an assist.
His availability is expected to help the Super Eagles’ midfield structure as they push for a playoff victory over DR Congo.
The Super Eagles face DR Congo on Sunday in the final phase of the CAF World Cup playoff series by 8pm local time.