Galatasaray star Victor Osimhen is expected to lead the Super Eagles of Nigeria as captain for the blockbuster semi-final showdown against Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Osimhen is assuming the leadership role for the high-stake clash in the absence of main skipper Wilfred Ndidi, who is suspended for the match due to yellow card accumulation in the knockout stages of the continental showpiece.
Ndidi picked up his second booking during Nigeria’s 2–0 quarter-final victory over Algeria, making him unavailable for the titanic semi-final clash on Wednesday. The midfielder was cautioned in the 67th minute for time-wasting, adding to the yellow card he received earlier in the tournament.
His first caution came in the Round of 16 match against Mozambique, where he was booked in the 38th minute.
Per AFCON regulations, two yellow cards in the knockout rounds result in a one-match suspension, automatically ruling the Turkey-based midfielder out of the semi-final clash against the Atlas Lions.
Nigeria, who last won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and pushing to end their trophy drought on the continent. The Super Eagles came close to annexing the title in the previous, but fell short to Ivory Coast in the final.
