Latest News
Knee injury puts Super Eagles Revelation Benjamin Fredrick in doubt for AFCON
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
A knee injury could now rule out Nigeria’s senior men’s national team breakthrough star Benjamin Fredrick from next month’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Fredrick sustained the setback during training on Friday, according to journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, forcing him to miss his Belgian club’s first league win of the season away at Antwerp.
The defender is reportedly not expected back in action until after the AFCON in January.
The former Flying Eagles centre-back has been a refreshing addition to the national team setup since making his full Super Eagles debut against Jamaica at the Unity Cup in London in May.
Coach Eric Chelle has consistently selected him ahead of long-serving captain William Troost-Ekong, and the youngster has impressed in both the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the Playoff fixtures.
His injury is a huge blow for Chelle, who is expected to release his roster for the 2025 AFCON taking place in Morocco in the coming days after 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification setbacks.
Super Eagles hope to win their fourth AFCON title after missing out on back-to-back World Cup qualifications in 2022 and 2026 respectively. They finished second at the last AFCON to host, Cote d’Ivoire in 2023.
