'Soldier go, soldier come' - Ndidi insists he is not competing for a starting spot with any player

Speaking at Thursday evening's pre-match press conference ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match against South Africa's Bafana Bafana, Wilfred Ndidi has insisted that he is not competing for a starting spot with any player in Nigeria's national team.

The long-serving Leicester City midfielder was initially named in the Super Eagles squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations but was forced to withdraw from the roster due to injury. 

With Ndidi absent, Brentford star Frank Onyeka stepped up with a series of impressive performances in the midfield, helping the Super Eagles reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where they narrowly lost 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast.

The former Racing Genk midfielder returned to the fold for a pair of internationals against Ghana and Mali in March 2024.

Ndidi has admitted that he was impressed with the players that featured at the 2023 AFCON and stressed that the team comes first before personal ambition. 

"I was really, really impressed with the team, very, very impressed at the AFCON," Ndidi told reporters. 

"When you talk about competition, for me as a player, the team comes first so I'm not in competition with any player. 

"The most important thing is what the team is doing because the national team as we say in the military, soldier go, soldier come.

"Every player that is given the opportunity to play always try to give his best so it's not time to talk about pressure, competition in any sort of position.

"There's a reason everyone is coming together, the reason being here is we have something at hand to try and qualify for the World Cup, so that's the most important thing, the most important thing is how we approach the game."

All signs indicate that Ndidi will make his third consecutive appearance under manager Finidi George tonight against South Africa, and he is also expected to wear the captain's armband.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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