Ndidi Explains Vardy’s ‘Juju Cream’ Story, Says It Was Just Nigerian Shea Butter

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has dismissed former Leicester City teammate Jamie Vardy’s claim that he and fellow Nigerian player Kelechi Iheanacho used “juju cream” to recover from injuries, explaining that the substance was simply ori, a traditional Nigerian shea butter.

Ndidi addressed the viral story in a video shared on his Instagram page on Monday, revealing that the unusual explanation given to their Leicester teammates was only a joke that went too far.

According to the midfielder, he and Iheanacho deliberately created the “witch doctor” story as part of dressing-room banter, but Vardy eventually believed it.

“It’s ori (natural shea butter) and anytime we came back, he would ask, and we’d say, ‘Oh! It’s from a witch doctor in Nigeria,’” Ndidi said while laughing.

“And when we said, ‘Let’s use it on you,’ he always said no, even when we told him he would score more goals.”

The clarification followed comments made by Vardy on his podcast, “Jamie Vardy’s Having a Party,” where the former England striker recalled the unusual recovery routine he associated with his Nigerian teammates during their time at Leicester City.

Vardy said Ndidi and Iheanacho would sometimes travel to Nigeria after suffering minor injuries and return with what he described as a “nice big tub of juju cream.”

He claimed the cream was the only substance they allowed the club’s physiotherapist to apply to injured areas.

“They used to get injured. Little knocks, then go back to Nigeria for just one day. They come back with a nice big tub of juju cream,” Vardy said.

“That was the only thing that the masseuse was allowed to apply to the injured area. They used to tell us that it had come from a Nigerian witch doctor.”

Ndidi’s explanation shows that the product was not a mystical substance but ori, a natural shea butter commonly used in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa for skincare, massage and traditional remedies.

The joke became a memorable part of Leicester City’s dressing-room culture, with Vardy later sharing the story publicly as an example of the unique personalities within the squad.

Ndidi, Iheanacho and Vardy were teammates at Leicester between 2017 and 2024, a period that included the club’s historic FA Cup triumph in 2021 and victory in the FA Community Shield.

The trio remain remembered as key figures in one of Leicester’s most successful eras, combining talent, personality and a strong dressing-room bond.