Ndidi Suspended as Onyedika to Get Starting Shirt Against Morocco 

Super Eagles Captain, Wilfred Ndidi, is to miss Wednesday’s AFCON 2025 semifinal clash against hosts Morocco in Rabat.

The Besiktas of Turkey defensive midfielder, picked up a second yellow card during the quarterfinal fixture against Algeria’s Desert Foxes on Saturday night in Marrakech.

As a result of Ndidi’s suspension, Raphael Onyedika is the likely choice to step in to pair Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi in the middle of the Eagles midfield. Both players have the steel and granite to keep things tight in the middle as Iwobi breaks the line, spraying visionary passes to Nigeria’s forward line.

There is every reason for Morocco’s Atlas Lions to enter into panic mode as they countenance confrontation with the very efficient Nigeria machine in the last-four of the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Three-time champions Nigeria have done enough to convince those who have seen them play here that they are not in the North African Kingdom for a picnic. They have shown class, character and charisma, and more than half of their 16 goals in the five matches they have played at the championship have ‘team’ written all over them.

From four-goal-and-two-assists Victor Osimhen (35 goals in 51 matches – only two short of the Nigeria international goals-record), to three-goal-and-five-assists Ademola Lookman, to two-goal-and-one-assist Akor Adams, to two-goal Raphael Onyedika, to two-assists Samuel Chukwueze, to line-breaking passmaster Alex Iwobi (36 in the knockout phase so far), and a diligent rearguard, the Super Eagles have shown cold brutality and quiet authority in 450 minutes of exhilarating football.

Nigeria’s game has been awe-inspiring. The defence has been very well-knitted, with Calvin Bassey and Bruno Onyemaechi even joining attacks, and against Algeria, wing-back Bright Osayi-Samuel was imperious as he defended with as much confidence as he did going forward. Centreback Semi Ajayi scored Nigeria’s first goal of the tournament, against Tanzania.

Both teams possess the fury and fire to make it a memorable night for world football’s devotees. Morocco also have Brahim Diaz, the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals, as well as three-goal Ayoub El Kaabi, captain Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, Ismael Saibari and Azzedine Ounahi.

Nigeria have scored 158 goals in their 109 matches in AFCON history, and have lost only four of their last 23 matches in the competition, including last term’s Final against hosts Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan.

However, the Super Eagles have not faced North African opposition consecutively in the knockout stages of the AFCON since defeating Morocco, and subsequently Algeria, to claim their first title on home soil 46 years ago.

The Atlas Lions got the better of the Eagles on their way to lifting their only AFCON title in Ethiopia 50 years ago. Backhanded compliments have been exchanged in the same competition this millennium with Nigeria winning 2-0 in Lagos in 2000 and Morocco winning 1-0 in Tunisia in 2004.