Nigeria vs Morocco: How should Super Eagles replace suspended captain Wilfred Ndidi for AFCON 2025 semi?

Ahead of the Super Eagles‘ semi-final against Morocco at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025), there is a sense that everything is pulling the way of the three-time champions.

With the tournament’s best attack, Nigeria have the rest of the continent concerned. Ademola Lookman, Akor Adams and Victor Osimhen have combined increasingly effectively with each passing match, and Eric Chelle‘s side also carry a threat on set-pieces. 

Coach Eric Chelle and Alex Iwobi addressed the media ahead of tomorrow’s semi-final clash with Morocco.#Naija4TheWin pic.twitter.com/zfIXfmwShV

— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) January 13, 2026

However, it is not simply about firepower; the last two matches have seen them keep two clean sheets, pitching total shut-outs against Mozambique and Algeria in their most recent Super Eagles fixtures.

The fly in the ointment, however, is in the form of a suspension to captain Wilfred Ndidi, whose leadership has been exemplary so far in the competition. His unavailability, for accumulation of yellow cards, means the Super Eagles have a tough decision to make as to how best he can be replaced.

Here are the available options, with the pros and cons in each case, as Chelle ponders his best bet. 

Raphael Onyedika

The Club Brugge man seems the most logical choice to plug the gap. It has been a long, hard road to relevance within the Super Eagles fold for Onyedika, but he has made the most of his cameos so far, even bursting forward from deep to score twice against Uganda in the group stage.

Pro: In his calmness under pressure and use of the ball, Onyedika is even better suited than Ndidi to play as the fulcrum in midfield. His passing range would also grant the Super Eagles another option for progression in the unlikely event that the virtuoso Alex Iwobi is stymied.

Con: He lacks the intensity or physical quality of Ndidi. As the rest of the team have gotten to grips with their responsibilities in defensive transition, the Besiktas man has had less to do in terms of directly putting out fires. However, his understanding of when to put the boot in is not something that Onyedika can replicate.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Impressive in his sole start against Uganda, the Manchester City youth product is another  who could be introduced into the midfield on account of Ndidi’s absence. An aggressive runner, Dele-Bashiru would offer something completely different off-the-ball, while at the same time boasting the energy to compete when Morocco are in possession.

Pro: His ability to play ahead of the ball and get into pockets of space in the final third could provide an element of surprise. He is good at timing these charges without necessarily compromising the team too.

Con: He would not be able to play as the pivot midfielder, which would mean Frank Onyeka moving across to play a more disciplined holding role. That would be twice the disruption,  in effect changing two different roles. This con also applies to Samuel Chukwueze and the hitherto unseen Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, who are both options that would entail a different set of responsibilities for Onyeka.

Frank Onyeka

The Brentford man has proven to be the final piece in the puzzle for the Super Eagles. Brought into the team for the second group match, he immediately stood out for his pressing and ability to break up play, making the team much more solid in the process. Nigeria have not looked back since.

Pro: He has the same tenacity in the tackle and physicality that Ndidi does, and would be the best choice if the priority is to recreate that. 

Con: For one thing, while he can win the ball, he probably lacks the discipline to be a proper holding player. Even Ndidi had to learn that, painstakingly, over the course of many years at Leicester City. To boot, he is not quite as solid in the passing stakes as the captain. Then there is the same con as has been previously cited: shift him, and it will be necessary to replace him with someone else of a different profile.

Tochukwu Nnadi

Undeniably the wildcard option, the 22-year-old appears to have won the confidence of the coaching crew, lacing up in a cameo against Uganda ahead of Serie A man Akinsanmiro. This, though, would require a whole other level of belief from Chelle.

Pro: Perhaps the truest like-for-like replacement for Ndidi in the squad, Nnadi possesses the right mix of intensity and ball usage to fill the gap, at least from a technical and tactical point of view.

Con: This, an AFCON semi-final, is a terrible situation in which to throw a young, inexperienced player with two caps to his name. The stage would almost certainly be too overwhelming, and that could hamper the player’s development. Simply too risky.