Ndidi to miss 2025 AFCON semi-final against Morocco

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi will miss Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations 2025 semi-final against Morocco after accumulating two yellow cards in the knockout stage.

Ndidi was first booked in the 38th minute of Nigeria’s round-of-16 victory over Mozambique for a tactical foul. He then picked up a second caution in the quarter-final win over Algeria, triggering an automatic one-match suspension.

The absence of the Super Eagles skipper represents a significant setback for Nigeria, with the former Leicester City midfielder having played a central role in shielding the defence and controlling midfield battles throughout the tournament.

While goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and winger Moses Simon were also booked in the quarter-final, only Ndidi’s second yellow card carries a suspension, leaving the rest of the squad available for selection.

So we had bookings for Ndidi, Nwabali and Moses Simon
Ndidi will miss the semifinal but Nwabali was not booked against Mozambique so he will not miss that game#AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/F0YpmPJXVZ
— Obong Colin NOT Collins (@ColinUdoh) January 10, 2026

Head coach Eric Chelle will now be forced into a midfield reshuffle as the Super Eagles prepare for a demanding semi-final against the hosts. Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika is expected to step in in his place.

© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.