The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has clarified that Wilfred Ndidi is not suspended for the final of the African playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.
The clarification comes after reports suggested that Ndidi would be unavailable for the clash against DR Congo due to yellow card accumulation.
Ndidi was a key figure in Nigeria’s 4-1 win over Gabon in Thursday’s semi-final, where he captained the team and delivered a standout performance, including an assist for Chidera Ejuke’s goal.
Although he received a yellow card in the first half for protesting a referee’s call — in addition to a previous booking from the group stages — the NFF said this does not affect his eligibility.
In a tweet on Saturday, the federation stated that yellow cards from the group phase “do not carry over into the playoffs”.
According to the NFF, “CAF has confirmed that Wilfred Ndidi is eligible to feature for the Super Eagles in Sunday’s playoff clash against DR Congo,” adding that “cautions accumulated during the World Cup qualifiers do not carry over into the playoffs; only confirmed suspensions apply.”
The Super Eagles will take on DR Congo on Sunday at 8 pm Nigerian time, with the winner advancing to the intercontinental playoff for next year’s World Cup.