Ndidi reveals final phone call with father before tragic road accident

Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has disclosed that he spoke with his father, Sunday Ndidi, only hours before the retired military officer died in a road accident in Delta State on Tuesday, Sport360NG reports.

The late Sunday Ndidi was reportedly involved in a crash in Umunede and was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital in Agbor. Confirmation of his passing came later in the day from Ndidi’s club, Beşiktaş, which announced the news around noon.

In an emotional message shared on Instagram, the 29-year-old midfielder reflected on their final conversation, expressing disbelief at the sudden loss. Ndidi wrote that his father had called earlier that morning with enthusiasm, a moment he now understands as a farewell.

The Nigeria international recently captained the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he scored his first international goal. He dedicated the celebration, modelled after one popularised by Kanu Nwankwo, to his father, a lifelong admirer of the former Super Eagles captain, and referenced that tribute in his post.

Tributes have since poured in from Nigeria’s football authorities. The National Sports Commission described the news as a painful loss, with its Director General, Bukola Olopade, offering condolences on behalf of the commission and the wider sports community, noting the close bond between Ndidi and his father.

The Nigeria Football Federation also expressed shock. General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi said the midfielder had only recently returned from international duty full of motivation after Nigeria’s bronze-medal finish in Morocco, adding that prayers were with Ndidi and his family.

The Super Eagles’ official account on X similarly conveyed support, sending messages of sympathy to the player during what it described as a difficult period.

Ndidi has often spoken about growing up in military barracks with his father and the influence that environment had on his discipline, character and passion for football. Born and raised in Lagos, the midfielder has repeatedly credited his father’s guidance as central to his development on and off the pitch.