Super Eagles: 2 key reasons Ndidi wanted Olaitan to dump Benin Republic for Nigeria

Wilfred Ndidi’s conversation with Junior Olaitan gave the Super Eagles captain a different perspective on why the talented midfielder chose Benin Republic over Nigeria, Afrik-Foot reports.

Ndidi and Olaitan are now teammates at Beşiktaş, but their international careers took very different paths despite the pair having strong Nigerian connections.

Olaitan was born in Porto-Novo to a Nigerian father and a Beninese mother and spent much of his formative years in Lagos. That background meant he was eligible to represent Nigeria before committing his international future to Benin.

The 24-year-old made his Benin debut in 2021 and has since become an important figure for the Cheetahs, while Ndidi eventually became one of the senior figures in the Super Eagles.

When the two players became club teammates, Ndidi admitted he was curious about Olaitan’s decision.

“Olaitan is an amazing guy; he gives me so much joy to be honest,” Ndidi told Football Fans Tribe.

“When I spoke to him and got to know him, I had to ask him why he quickly chose to play for Benin Republic.

“He should’ve waited a bit, because he has a lot of talent.”

Ndidi initially felt Olaitan should have waited for an opportunity with Nigeria, but the midfielder’s explanation changed the Super Eagles captain’s perspective. Two elements of that conversation stand out.

Why Junior Olaitan didn’t play for the Super Eagles

1. Nigeria did not provide enough opportunities

The clearest reason from Ndidi’s account is the lack of opportunities Olaitan experienced while trying to establish himself as a professional footballer.

“He explained a lot of things to me, and I quickly understood why,” Ndidi said.

“All of the struggles he went through without having a lot of opportunities…”

That part of the conversation is important because Olaitan’s route into professional football was not straightforward.

After growing up in Lagos, he returned to Benin and began his senior career with Ayema before moving to France. He subsequently played for Niort, Troyes and Grenoble before continuing his career in Turkey with Göztepe and Beşiktaş.

By the time Nigeria could potentially have become a serious option, Olaitan had already established himself with Benin.

His international debut came in 2021, with the midfielder eventually becoming a regular member of the Cheetahs. He has now accumulated 40 appearances for Benin, with three goals and six assists.

For Ndidi, therefore, waiting for Nigeria was not necessarily a straightforward decision for a young player who had already experienced the difficulty of getting opportunities.

2. Olaitan found a platform to become important

The other part of Ndidi’s comments is just as significant.

“He’s doing so well, he’s carrying the team, it’s amazing,” the Super Eagles captain said.

That observation explains why Ndidi can simultaneously regret that Olaitan did not choose Nigeria while understanding why the midfielder made his decision.

Olaitan did not simply pick Benin and disappear from the international scene. He developed into an important player for the Cheetahs and has continued to grow at club level.

His move to Beşiktaş in February 2026 represented another significant step in that development, following his spell with Göztepe. He has featured regularly for the Turkish giants this season, recording two assists in the Süper Lig.

His European campaign has been even more productive. Olaitan provided two assists in Beşiktaş’s 4-1 Europa League victory over Marseille on September 17, while UEFA records two assists from his Europa League appearance this season.

That progress gives Ndidi’s comments another layer. The Super Eagles captain believed Olaitan had enough talent to wait for Nigeria, but the Benin international eventually found a national-team environment where he could become an important player.

And as Ndidi now sees from close quarters at Beşiktaş, that decision has not stopped Olaitan from continuing to develop.

The question of what might have happened had Nigeria moved earlier will remain hypothetical.

What is no longer in doubt, however, is that Olaitan has built a significant international career with Benin, one that Ndidi now understands much better after hearing the story directly from the player.