International Football
WE ASPIRE TO BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD, NDIDI TELLS SINGAPORE PRESS
BY DAVID LEE.
In 1977, Brazil football legend Pele predicted that Africa would deliver a World Cup champion by 2000, as he was impressed by the talents in the continent.
Since then, African footballers have made an impact in Europe. At the last World Cup in Russia, more than 70 per cent of the 115 African players called up across Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal were playing for European clubs.
However, it was also the first time since 1982 that no African teams made it to the round of 16.
Corruption and a lack of infrastructure, and even the disproportionate allocation of World Cup spots – Africa has 48 countries vying for four places, while 13 slots were up for grabs for 54 European teams – have often been cited as reasons for Africa’s lack of progress at football’s biggest stage.
But in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times, Nigeria
midfielder Wilfred Ndidi said he believes that African teams can make a bigger
impact at the World Cup. They need to believe more in themselves and play as a
team to get to a World Cup final, or at least surpass the quarter-final feat
achieved by Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002), and Ghana (2010), he added.
“With the right mindset and belief in our qualities, and playing together as a team and not just individuals, we can make every game count and get the wins to go as far as possible,” said the 22-year-old Leicester City player, who is here with Nigeria for a friendly against Brazil today as part of the Brazil Global Tour.
While Nigeria have blazed the trail for Africa by winning five Under-17 world titles and Olympic football gold in 1996, and reached the second round of the World Cup three times (the most for an African team), the Super Eagles have never progressed past the round of 16.
German Gernot Rohr, who has coached Nigeria since 2016, said that African teams still have to improve in terms of organisation and discipline. The 66-year-old said: “It is always the same problems – waiting days for our equipment to arrive, visa issues – we have to do better.
“We need to do better work with the young players, who need to have more discipline. We have African players doing well in Europe, some like our stand-in captain William Troost-Ekong are born in Europe and bring back good philosophy and culture which others can learn.”
Citing Nigeria’s 4-2 win over two-time world champions Argentina in 2017 as evidence that the gap is narrowing between African teams and the world’s best, Ndidi believes that a combination of experience and youth will also help Nigeria’s cause.
With 2015 Under-17 World Cup winners Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen in Nigeria’s squad in Singapore, Ndidi said: “We have closed the gap and we are still growing. You can see we are trying to play a young team at the World Cup, and at the African Cup of Nations.
“We are young, mobile, and we can play good football. Everything comes with time, we are trying our best and we are getting there.”
Tonight’s friendly against the Samba Boys will give the Super Eagles the opportunity to show the world they are ready to soar again, even if they are missing John Obi Mikel and Odion Ighalo, who have retired from international football, and injured striker and captain Ahmed Musa.
Brazil beat Nigeria 3-0 in their only meeting in 2003 but the latter are plotting an upset. Troost-Ekong said: “Brazil are one of the best teams in the world and we have to respect them. But if we are at our best, we can make things difficult for them. We shouldn’t fear them or be afraid. We have young players who want to prove ourselves.”
-The Straits Times
By Kunle Solaja
Match Context
- Fixture: Jordan vs Nigeria
- Venue: Antalya, Turkey
- Occasion: Four-Nation Invitational Tournament
- Kick-off: Tuesday (evening)
They would have loved facing Jamaica in Mexico today for a place at the World Cup, but fate has other plans, and Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be taking on World Cup debutants Jordan in a friendly match instead in Turkey.
The encounter promises to be a revealing contest for both sides as preparations intensify for future global assignments.
The encounter, staged as part of a four-nation tournament in Turkey, will be the third meeting between the two countries, with the head-to-head record finely poised.
History Beckons in Third Meeting
Nigeria claimed a 2-0 victory in their first clash at the National Stadium, Lagos, on 28 April 2004 during the LG Cup.
However, the tables turned in 2013 when a largely experimental Nigerian side under the late Stephen Keshi suffered a 1-0 defeat in Amman, courtesy of a Hatem Aqel penalty.
This latest meeting now serves as the decider in what has quietly become a balanced rivalry.
Jordan arrive in buoyant mood, riding on the crest of a historic achievement, which is their first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup (2026).
Jordan’s Al-Nashama
Their recent form underlines a team growing in confidence and tactical discipline. In the past months, Al-Nashama have:
- Held Russia (0-0)
- Defeated Dominican Republic (3-0)
- Drawn with Mali (0-0)
- Narrowly lost to Bolivia (1-0) and Albania (4-2)
- Pushed Tunisia (3-2 loss) in a competitive encounter
They also opened this invitational tournament with a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica, further evidence of their resilience.
The team’s preparations have been boosted by a morale-lifting visit from Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, during their Antalya training camp.
Coach Jamal Al-Salami has deliberately scheduled matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica, citing their stylistic similarity to World Cup opponents such as Argentina, Austria, and Algeria.
Despite missing several key players, including star forward Mousa Ta’mari, Jordan have continued to show depth, blending senior players with youth prospects as part of a broader developmental strategy.
Nigeria head into the clash with renewed confidence after a 2-1 victory over Iran in their opening game of the tournament, with goals from Moses Simon and Akor Adams.
Unlike previous meetings, the Super Eagles are expected to field a full-strength squad, packed with Europe-based stars, something Jordanian observers have already described as a “heavyweight challenge.”
The squad boasts a blend of experience and attacking flair.
The presence of multiple attacking options gives Nigeria a clear edge going forward, while their physicality and pace could pose serious problems for the Jordanians.
Jordan are expected to adopt a compact, disciplined shape, relying on quick transitions and defensive organisation, qualities that earned them results against stronger opposition in recent friendlies.
Nigeria, by contrast, will likely dominate possession, using width and individual brilliance to break down Jordan’s defensive lines.
The key battle may lie in midfield, where Jordan’s structure will be tested against Nigeria’s blend of strength, technique, and tempo.
For Jordan, this is another step in fine-tuning a squad preparing for its historic World Cup debut—a chance to measure themselves against elite opposition.
For Nigeria, it is an opportunity to assert authority, build cohesion among its star-studded squad, and maintain momentum ahead of more competitive fixtures.
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A clash of kit colours caused confusion for players and made it difficult for fans watching on TV to tell the teams apart as World Cup co-hosts, the U.S., were accused of being responsible for a mix-up in a 5-2 friendly defeat by Belgium on Saturday.
Both teams used the match to launch the new kit they will wear at the June 11 to July 19 World Cup, which is also being held in Canada and Mexico.
The U.S. sported a design that pulls directly from the red and white stripes in the American flag, while Belgium wore their away kit, which was light blue with pink accents.
“Sometimes you had to look twice, especially if you wanted to play quickly,” Belgian winger Jeremy Doku told his national television afterwards. “I would have preferred clearer colours.”
American captain Christian Pulisic said it was difficult to deal with.
“A lot of times you get the ball, and you look up, you can’t really lock in on something. You can only base it on the colour of the shirt. That’s how it works,” he told reporters. “And when it’s very similar, it’s difficult.”
Belgian television apologised to viewers after the match, with analyst and former Belgian international Marc Degryse criticising organisers.
“Football is a product that needs to be sold. Everything always has to be better and better, yet they still managed to make the match annoying with the jerseys,” he said.
“This goes completely against the whole commercial aspect. This is really unacceptable.”
US Soccer said pictures of both jerseys were sent to match referees before the match, and at no time did they indicate they felt there was a conflict.
Belgian media said on Sunday the fault lay with the hosts, who insisted on playing in their new red and white jerseys, which clashed with both Belgium’s first-choice red strip and also the lighter away kit.
Both countries wanted to unveil their new jerseys for the first time, but after becoming aware of the situation, Belgium proposed to play in their traditional red, the reports said.
However, that was not an option because the U.S. shirt also contains a lot of red. One solution could have been for the U.S. to play in their dark blue kit, but that did not fit into their commercial plan, the reports added.
-Reuters
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Mexico and Portugal played out a 0-0 draw at the Estadio Azteca on Saturday in a friendly to mark the stadium’s reopening ahead of the World Cup.
The match doubled as a test event for the revamped stadium, drawing a festive crowd eager to sample the atmosphere ahead of the June 11 to July 19 global soccer showpiece, which Mexico is co-hosting with the U.S. and Canada.
“It’s the best possible scenario, as I’ve said; to play here, you’ve got to have guts, because the fans are demanding and want to win and see good football,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre told reporters.
“The players gave it their all right to the end against Portugal, who are not an easy team. They’re a top-10 side, a really solid team.”
Portugal’s Joao Felix went close in the 14th minute before Goncalo Ramos struck the post midway through the first half.
The visitors continued to look the more dangerous side after the break, with Bruno Fernandes firing just wide.
Tensions briefly flared between Pedro Neto and Jesus Gallardo, while the introduction of Toluca’s Portuguese striker Paulinho was met with loud cheers from the home crowd.
“I think we had 10 shots on goal, which isn’t far off what we were aiming for,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said.
“What isn’t good is the number of shots on target; we lacked accuracy.
“Success or failure isn’t just about the score. There are many more factors at play these days. I think that, after 90 minutes, the team is better prepared for the World Cup.”
Mexico almost claimed a late winner through substitute Armando Gonzalez but the forward’s header went wide.
Mexico, who were booed by sections of the crowd at the final whistle, face Belgium in another friendly on Tuesday, while Portugal take on the United States the same day.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Goncalo Ramos in action with Mexico’s Erik Lira REUTERS/Eloisa Sanchez
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