International Football
Super Eagles suffer another blow in the midfield as Ndidi is ruled out of World Cup qualifiers
Ahead of the next four World Cup qualifying matches in October and November, Nigeria has suffered another blow in the midfield.
After the loss of Oghenekaro Etebo owing to injury, the same fate has befallen Leicester City defensive midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, who according to information from his club, is ruled out for up to four or five weeks.
The 24-year-old Super Eagle missed the Foxes’ 2-2 Premier League draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park Stadium on Sunday because of a hamstring injury he suffered a week before in the 2-2 draw with Burnley which also ruled him out of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against Central African Republic on Thursday in Lagos.
Though he was suspended for the team’s Europa League trip to face Legia Warsaw in Poland where they lost 1-0, Ndidi could not have featured in the game owing to the injury.
Rodgers has confirmed the injury situation after receiving the results of the scan for the player, who had featured for 31 straight matches in all competitions since February before sustaining the injury against Burnley.
“He did it in the (Burnley) game, which was unfortunate. It could be four to five weeks, so we’ll see how that goes,” Rodgers told BBC Radio Leicester as quoted by Leicestershire Live.
Ahead of the game against Legia Warsaw, Rodgers highlighted the importance of Ndidi and he admitted it was “impossible” for them to find another player to do the job of the former Genk star.
“It’s impossible to find what we have in Wilf,” Rodgers said. “We have good players, but specifically the job he does in breaking up the play and defending in the box, he’s irreplaceable, but we have lots of good players.
“You have to find a way. Earlier on in the season, we brought [Boubakary] Soumare into the squad because he gives us that physicality. Wilf’s a fabulous player and hopefully, he’ll be okay for the weekend.”
The injury setback means Ndidi will miss home matches against Manchester United and Arsenal as well as the Europa League matches against Spartak Moscow.
Ndidi, who had already been left out of the Nigeria squad for the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against the Central African Republic, is now a huge doubt for the next qualifiers scheduled for November.
Apart from the international break in November, Ndidi could also miss top-flight matches against promoted side Brentford and Leeds United.
Brazil will round off their 2025 calendar with two friendly matches in Europe next month, taking on Senegal and Tunisia as part of their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian FA (CBF) announced on Thursday.
The five-time world champions, managed by Carlo Ancelotti, will face Senegal on November 15 at Emirates Stadium in London and, three days later, they will meet Tunisia in Lille, France.
The CBF announced that these fixtures were designed to “provide the team with valuable experience against African opposition” ahead of next year’s tournament in North America.
After the conclusion of the South American qualifiers, the choice of opponents follows October’s encounters against Asian teams, which saw Brazil beat South Korea 5-0 but suffer a stunning first defeat to Japan.
With coach Ancelotti facing limited preparation time after arriving in May from Real Madrid, the matches form part of a broader plan to expose Brazil to a variety of playing styles in preparation for next year’s the World Cup.
Looking ahead to March 2026, the CBF has indicated that Brazil’s next set of friendlies will likely be against top-level European nations, with the U.S. as the expected venue.
Ancelotti has been steadily implementing his vision for the squad and has emphasised the importance of adapting to diverse tactical challenges, particularly against teams from other continents.
CBF sources indicated that the plan for the three remaining international breaks would be to make final observations regarding players and tactical adjustments in November, lock in the starting line-up in March and strengthen ties with Brazilian fans with a final friendly at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana before departing for the tournament.
The upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia will provide an opportunity to test Brazil’s readiness against two of Africa’s strongest sides.
Senegal boast a formidable squad featuring Sadio Mane, Nicolas Jackson and Kalidou Koulibaly. They shocked Brazil 4-2 in their last encounter, a friendly played in Lisbon two years ago.
Tunisia, meanwhile, are known for their defensive organisation and have consistently performed well in African competitions.
Back in September they were the second African team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Morocco Dazzle the World: Zabiri Leads Atlas Cubs to Historic U-20 World Cup Glory
From Heartbreak to History: Morocco’s Road to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Final
Double Blow for Nigeria as Flamingos Fall 4-1 to Canada at U17 Women’s World Cup
- World Cup1 week ago
CAF Rule Change May Boost Nigeria’s World Cup Qualification Hopes
- World Cup5 days ago
Victor Osimhen qualifies South Africa for World Cup as Super Eagles go for Play-Off
- World Cup1 week ago
BREAKING! Lookman Suspended for Crucial Benin Clash
- World Cup1 week ago
Judgment Day Beckons in Group C: Only One Ticket, Three Contenders, Infinite Drama
- FIFA RANKING3 days ago
Nigeria Jumps Four Places in New FIFA Rankings; Stirs Optimism in Local Football Circles
- World Cup1 week ago
Super Eagles Stranded in Angola After Aircraft Suffers Cracked Windscreen
- World Cup1 week ago
Akor Adams Becomes Nigeria’s 61st Scoring Debutant
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
GTI Assets Champions Football Investment as Catalyst for National Development