Nigeria’s Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has expressed satisfaction with Beşiktaş’ performance following their hard-fought 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night.

The former Genk star found the back of the net with a composed left-footed finish after receiving a pass from Salih Özcan, firing beyond the reach of Crystal Palace goalkeeper Walter Benítez.

Ndidi, however, caught the attention with his unusual celebration, pointing towards the number on the back of his jersey after scoring.

Speaking after the encounter, he described the game as a positive outing despite Beşiktaş’s slow start, explaining that the team gradually found its rhythm as the match progressed.

“It was a positive match. We started slowly in the first half, but we gained momentum and scored the goal. The same thing happened in the second half. Overall, it was a positive match,” the Nigerian midfielder said after the game.

According to the Super Eagles captain, the players have continued to work hard and fight together as they seek to establish themselves against strong opposition.

“Beşiktaş is a wonderful club. We are showing ourselves against teams coming from big leagues. We are on the right track; everyone is working hard. Everyone is fighting. Everything is going great.”

Ndidi also shed light on his goal celebration, revealing that the gesture was a way of congratulating himself for the quality of his finish.

“Actually, I was congratulating myself, saying ‘bravo’ to myself,” he explained.

Former Leicester City midfielder, who featured for the entire duration of the encounter, will now be keen to build on the performance, maintain his consistency in midfield and contribute more goals.

Beşiktaş currently occupies eighth position in the Europa League standings, remaining within the automatic play-off qualification places with seven points from three matches.

Packaged by Lanre Olabisi