By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria rising centre-back Benjamin Fredrick has undergone successful surgery after suffering a meniscus injury during a training session with Belgian Pro League side FC Dender.
The 19-year-old, who has impressed for Nigeria in recent international outings, is expected to be out of action for six to eight weeks, club officials confirmed.
Despite the setback, Fredrick is reported to be in stable condition and has already commenced rehabilitation.
His quick response to treatment has come as a relief to both the national team handlers and FC Dender, who have relied on his composure, maturity and consistent performances since his breakthrough season.
Fredrick shot to prominence at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he emerged as one of Nigeria’s standout performers before earning promotion to the senior national team.
His calm ball-playing ability, positional awareness and confidence under pressure have made him one of the country’s most exciting defensive prospects.
Before the injury, he had cemented his place in FC Dender’s back line, delivering solid displays in the Belgian topflight.
His absence is expected to be felt by the club, but optimism remains high that he will return in good shape ahead of key fixtures early next year.
Fredrick will resume full training once cleared by medical personnel, with hopes that he will continue his steady rise for both FC Dender and the Super Eagles.
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.
