‘We believe in ourselves’ – Ndidi puts pressure on his Super Eagles teammates ahead of the tour in Portugal

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi described Nigeria’s international friendly against Portugal as a valuable opportunity to assess the team’s development under head coach Eric Chelle.

The Beşiktaş midfielder said the clash against the European heavyweights will give a clear indication of how far the Super Eagles have come as they continue to rebuild after failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria will face Portugal on Wednesday in one of their biggest tests since Chelle took over, with the team looking to build on their form ahead of future competitions.

The Portuguese clash is seen as a key benchmark

Ndidi acknowledged the quality within the Portuguese squad and believes facing the best opposition is key to the Super Eagles’ growth.

“It will be a very good test for us. We did the first test against Poland and Portugal are a great team, a huge team with big players,” Ndidi told a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“So it will also be a very big test for us as a group, for our vision, for our goals as a team, for our growth, it will be a very good test for us.”

The midfielder emphasized that the focus is not only on the result, but on measuring the team’s progress and understanding the areas that still need improvement.

Ndidi praises Chelle’s influence

Ndidi also credited Chelle for creating a positive atmosphere within the team, saying the coach helped unite the players around a common goal.

“Eric is a very good manager. He’s an amazing guy. The way he brings the team together is really good because everyone is so happy to have him around,” he said.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s absence from the World Cup, the 29-year-old admitted it was a painful memory but insisted the team was now concentrating on future goals.

“Missing the World Cup is really sad, anyone can say that, but the goal is not just to beat ourselves up for what we missed. It’s really to look forward to a bright future and what we can actually achieve together as a team.”

Ndidi added that the players remain confident regardless of the opposition they face.

“We believe in ourselves. We don’t care who we play against, even if we play against the biggest countries in the world.”

The Super Eagles captain concluded by saying that the team is determined to continue to improve and ensure that missing out on the World Cup does not happen again as they prepare for future qualification campaigns.