By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nigerian defender Benjamin Fredrick has officially joined Belgian Pro League side FCV Dender on a season-long loan from Brentford, following months of transfer speculation.
The 20-year-old centre-back is coming off a standout 2024/25 campaign with Brentford B, where he was named Players’ Player of the Season.
Fredrick played a pivotal role in the team’s title-winning run in the U21 Professional Development League and helped guide them to the final of the Premier League Cup.
His strong club form also earned him a senior international debut for Nigeria, featuring in the 2025 Unity Cup final against Jamaica. Fredrick was part of the Super Eagles side that triumphed via a penalty shoot-out to lift the trophy.
The loan move—subject to final approval from the Football Association, the Premier League, and international clearance—represents the next step in Fredrick’s development, with regular first-team football in Belgium expected to aid his growth.
Fredrick becomes the latest in a growing list of Nigerian prospects gaining experience in Europe, as Brentford continue to strategically develop young talent through competitive loan spells abroad.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
