Why I’m creating Christmas memories with kids – Ndidi

Super Eagles and Leicester midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, shares his thoughts about spending Christmas with kids, the national team and more in this interview with ABIODUN ADEWALE

It’s Christmas and you’re back home sharing gifts with kids in Ajegunle. What’s the motivation?

I feel like it’s a festive period and these kids deserve something like this. It’s something they will have to remember and the memory sticks with them. The happiness on the faces of the children too can’t be explained. When you do something for adults, the emotions stay with them only but when you do something for kids, the adults see it as well, so they also try to do the same. All we are trying to do is to create memories and I’m happy to be doing this because some of us didn’t have this experience while growing up, I grew up in the barracks like most people know. This is not about football now. Schools are on break and this is a time to create memories, especially among kids.

What was Christmas like for you while growing up?

Christmas was like a normal day. We tend to celebrate. We share food and gifts among neighbours, that is if you can. The most important thing was the Christmas clothes. That’s how I grew up. The food during Christmas is totally different as well.

So which is your favourite?

My favourite is rice and chicken.

So why Ajegunle?

Ajegunle has brought out so many stars and I know there will be more. Growing up, I heard names and met people like (Odion) Ighalo in the national team. So I think doing more for kids here will inspire them more. That’s not to say we won’t do it in other areas. I have a foundation which takes care of many needs of children and the elderly and we do a lot of things for communities as well.

What are some of the projects and areas you’re still looking to make an impact?

In my village, I’ve built the city council. What I’m trying to do next is the water project because they have that challenge. We look at what people need. Like in Ajegunle, it’s really about development.

Leicester has a new manager. How has it been playing under Rud van Nistelrooy?

It’s going well. He’s an amazing manager with an amazing personality who is trying to put the team together. He’s building up from there and with time we will get his philosophy and win games. There are still many games to play and we are up for it.

So, what are your chances of escaping relegation this season?

We have the quality to remain in the league. Things are not going the right way now but we have the quality to get there with time.

The 2025 AFCON qualifiers are done and the World Cup qualifiers will resume. How do you fancy our chances of making it to the 2026 World Cup?

We did well with the AFCON qualifiers and I feel that is giving us the confidence to continue well in the World Cup qualifiers. We didn’t start well, but it’s gone. We need to stick together and learn from our mistakes and every game is a must-win. We can’t let anything slide at the moment and I think the whole idea is to take the confidence from AFCON qualifiers to the World Cup qualifiers. We can’t dwell on the past and we would be judged by what we do going forward. We still communicate within ourselves because we know if some players miss it this time, they can’t be there again and the young ones need to experience it as well.

There is a chance that the coaching set-up of the Super Eagles will change before the World Cup qualifiers. Are you guys worried about that?

We are not worried at all, our only worry is not losing a game. This is about everything, it’s not just about tactics. It’s more about individual and collective desire and that’s what we have been building from the last two AFCON qualifiers. The World Cup is every four years, so we have to grab the opportunity.

You’ve been able to combine education and sports. How easy was that?

There is time for everything. I feel there is always a way to learn more and that’s the reason I embarked on that journey. I cracked the first one and I’m looking forward to the next. I did a one-year course which I finished in 2019. Looking forward I will still enrol but I want to focus on football now. There is still time to enrol fully after football.