Benjamin Fredrick wearing a neon green Super Eagles training shirt with pink accents during national team camp in Nigeria
Benjamin Fredrick during traning in Uyo sports stadium


Benjamin Fredrick, the 21-year-old Brentford centre-back, is preparing to feature in a competitive Super Eagles match on Nigerian soil for the first time in nearly a year. 

The defender suffered a knee injury in training with Belgian club Dender shortly after Nigeria’s final 2026 World Cup qualifying matches in November 2025. 

That setback ruled him out of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and kept him sidelined for roughly 287 days. He returned to club action with Brentford’s under-21 side at the end of August and has since been named in senior matchday squads.

In a recent interview, Fredrick described the period as “very difficult.” He said: “I got injured after the last World Cup qualifiers against Congo. When I went back to my club, I got injured in training. So, I was very disappointed and angry with myself. I was supposed to just let the ball go, but unfortunately, I tried to stop it and got injured.”

Watching his teammates compete at the AFCON provided motivation. “But watching the Super Eagles, watching everyone going to the Afcon, motivates me that I can still come back better and be with the team again,” he added.