Benjamin Fredrick ruled out of AFCON 2025
Super Eagles defender Benjamin Fredrick has been ruled out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a knee injury during a training session with his club. The setback is a major blow for Nigeria, as the youngster was one of the standout performers in the country’s unsuccessful bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Fredrick, who is on the books of English club Brentford, is currently on loan at Belgian side Dender FC for the 2025–26 season to gain first-team experience. He has been a regular under Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle since making his debut against Jamaica at the Unity Cup earlier this year. Such has been his impact that he displaced team captain William Troost-Ekong from the starting lineup during the last round of World Cup qualifiers. The 20-year-old centre-back was widely expected to be […]