The Besiktas midfielder reached a historic personal milestone by scoring his first senior international goal for Nigeria, more than a decade after making his debut for the national team.

Ndidi found the net in the second half, rising highest to head home a corner delivered by Ademola Lookman and extend Nigeria's lead in a closely contested encounter.

After scoring, the skipper paid tribute to Nigerian football legend Nwankwo Kanu by recreating the iconic celebration made famous during Nigeria's memorable comeback win over Brazil at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Explaining the gesture, Ndidi revealed it was inspired by memories of his father.

"I just remembered my dad," Ndidi told allnigeriasoccer.com. "My dad always talks about Kanu. I kind of saw the video and said I would do that one for my dad."

Reflecting on finally opening his goal account for the Super Eagles, Ndidi admitted the moment was deeply emotional.

"It was really special. After a decade, scoring my first goal is really amazing, and we got the win, which is more important," he said.

Despite the positive result, the captain stressed the importance of remaining focused as the tournament progresses.

"It's just two games. We still have another game to play and we cannot get carried away," Ndidi explained.

"We stay focused on the course. We go back to the drawing board, look at our mistakes and try to improve."

Ndidi also praised the hospitality in Fes, expressing hope the team could remain there for the remainder of the group phase.

"The people in Fes are really welcoming and nice, so we'll try as much as possible to remain here," he added.

Addressing concerns over fatigue after an intense match played in rainy conditions, Ndidi downplayed the impact.

"It didn't affect anything. The last 15 or 20 minutes were intense, and you feel tired, but that's normal."

The captain ended with a message to fans back home, urging continued support.

"Just stay home, keep enjoying and keep supporting the team. We're trying everything to make the country proud, and we'll continue to do so. Happy New Year."

Nigeria will conclude their group-stage campaign against Uganda on Tuesday.

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