By Wale Mustapha
Former Nigeria head coach Sunday Oliseh has praised young defender Benjamin Fredrick, describing him as the Super Eagles’ standout performer in Thursday’s 4–1 extra-time victory over Gabon in the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff semifinal.
Nigeria were forced into extra time after the Panthers held them to a 1–1 draw in regulation, before goals from Victor Osimhen (two), Chidera Ejuke, and Adams Akor sealed a convincing win in Rabat.
Fredrick played a crucial role at the back, delivering an assured defensive display while also providing a superb assist for one of Osimhen’s goals.
His composure and decision-making drew special commendation from Oliseh, who both played for and coached the three-time African champions.
“I personally found Benjamin Frederick to be the most influential player yesterday versus Gabon for Super Eagles — always well positioned, pacy, decisive and played simple,” Oliseh wrote on his X account.
He urged the squad to shift focus immediately to Sunday’s playoff final.
“Now let’s celebrate today, but from tomorrow Congo needs to be our next victim. Boy, it feels great in the morning when Naija do well sha! Abi I lie? Have a nice day everyone.”
Fredrick has now accumulated 570 minutes for Nigeria without being substituted since making his debut in July against Jamaica.
The Super Eagles face DR Congo next, with the winner advancing to the inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026, where six teams will compete for two available slots at the FIFA World Cup.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
