November 15, (THEWILL) — Wilfred Ndidi has been cleared to play for Nigeria in Sunday’s 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff final against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rabat.
The Besiktas midfielder is now available for selection at the Moulay Hassan Stadium after the Confederation of African Football confirmed he is not suspended, according to a statement from the Super Eagles media team.
CAF informed the Nigeria Football Federation that cautions accumulated during the World Cup qualifying series do not carry over into the playoffs.
Only confirmed suspensions remain in force, meaning Ndidi’s yellow cards from Nigeria’s 2–0 victory over Rwanda in March 2025 and from the playoff semi-final against the Panthers will not rule him out of the final.
Coach Eric Chelle had previously stated that Ndidi would be unavailable for the match against the Leopards, believing the midfielder was suspended due to card accumulation.
On Friday, the team secretary, media officer, and Chelle all indicated that the former Leicester City player could not be selected because of the bookings.
The clarification from CAF will provide welcome relief for Chelle ahead of the crucial playoff final.
Ndidi is set to earn his 71st international cap on Sunday and is one of three players in the current squad with World Cup experience, alongside William Troost-Ekong and Alex Iwobi.
Nantes centre-back Chidozie Awaziem was also part of Nigeria’s squad at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but did not feature during the tournament.
His presence in the current setup adds further defensive options for the manager in the playoff final.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
