Ndidi praises Osimhen, backs Chelle News

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Ndidi praises Osimhen, backs Chelle

By Daily Sports Nigeria on January 17, 2026

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has lavished praise on Victor Osimhen while urging the Nigeria Football Federation to retain head coach Eric Chelle for the long term.

The Besiktas midfielder described the Galatasaray star as one of the best strikers in the world and called for continuity in the technical crew ahead of Saturday’s third-place playoff against Egypt at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Casablanca, Ndidi highlighted Osimhen’s influence on the team and revealed that the Franco-Malian boss has set the striker’s standards as a benchmark for the entire squad.

“Osimhen is one of the best strikers in the world. If you see someone like Osimhen in front of you, of course, he carries the team, he’s a great player. We’ll miss him if he’s not on the pitch, so that’s normal,” Ndidi told reporters.

“Since the coach came, he has made everyone feel they have to reach Osimhen’s standard. He’s a wonderful striker, amazing if he’s in your team. He’s like three strikers in one.”

The former African Footballer of the Year has contributed four goals and two assists in six matches at the tournament, while also playing a key role in pressing opponents when out of possession.

Osimhen captained the Super Eagles during their round of 16 victory over Mozambique and wore the armband again in the semi-final against Morocco, with Ndidi suspended.

The 27-year-old did not take a penalty in Wednesday’s shootout loss to Morocco as he was substituted in the closing stages of extra time due to an ankle injury.

Beyond praising his teammate, Ndidi also backed Chelle to continue in charge despite Nigeria’s semi-final exit, emphasising the importance of stability.

“When we talk about the experience as the captain. For the future, I will say this team I am very proud of, they have done a great thing in this tournament, and it’s been amazing,” Ndidi said.

“For continuity, I feel like they should keep the coach because he is a wonderful manager; the only thing we need in this team is continuity. We should not change things now because we did not make it to the final; we should remain focused because there are so many competitions ahead.”

Chelle took charge of the Super Eagles in December 2024 and guided them to the semi-finals of the AFCON, winning their opening five matches before the penalty shootout defeat to Morocco.

“Eric Chelle has made it a team thing. Watch out for this team in the next couple of years,” Ndidi concluded.

Source Punch Ng

Posted January 17, 2026