Benjamin Fredrick is closing in on a return to action after spending several months on the sidelines with a knee injury.
The 20-year-old defender, who is contracted to Brentford, sustained the injury in late November while training with Belgian Pro League side F.C.V. Dender E.H., where he is currently on a season-long loan.
According to Nigerian journalist Shina Okeleji, the centre-back is nearing full fitness and is expected to remain at Dender for the remainder of the campaign as part of his development programme.
Dender confirmed the injury at the time, after which Fredrick returned to England to undergo rehabilitation under Brentford’s medical team — a process that kept him out of action for several weeks.
The setback came at a challenging moment in his career. Fredrick had started each of Nigeria national football team’s previous six matches under head coach Eric Chelle and had become an important figure in the team’s defensive setup. The injury ultimately ruled him out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria secured a third-place finish.
Renowned for his composure in possession, versatility across the defensive line and recovery pace, Fredrick had been widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most promising young defenders prior to the setback.
His loan spell in Belgium was designed to provide consistent first-team opportunities following his steady rise through Brentford’s youth system, which earned him a permanent contract with the Premier League side.
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.
