By Obinna Uballa
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has been thrown into mourning following the death of his father, Sunday Ndidi, who died on Tuesday after a fatal road accident in Delta State.
The deceased, a retired military officer, was reportedly involved in a crash in Umunede and was rushed to a hospital in Agbor, where he was confirmed dead.
Ndidi’s Turkish club, Beşiktaş, confirmed the tragic development in a statement released on Tuesday via its official X account.
“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,” the club said.
“May Allah grant mercy to the deceased; we extend our heartfelt condolences to our footballer Wilfred Ndidi, his family, and loved ones.”
The death comes barely weeks after Ndidi led Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he also scored his maiden international goal for the Super Eagles.
The Leicester City midfielder had paid a touching tribute to his father during the tournament, dedicating his headed goal against Tunisia in Nigeria’s second group match to him. While celebrating the goal, Ndidi mimicked a gesture popularised by former Super Eagles captain Kanu Nwankwo.
Explaining the celebration at the time, Ndidi said his father was the inspiration behind it.
“The celebration came from my dad because he was always talking about Kanu Nwankwo,” he told journalists in Morocco.
“So I just thought about my dad. I had seen the video before, but it came to my head, and I said I was going to do it for my dad.”
