Former Super Eagles midfielder Sunday Oliseh has called on fans to keep an eye on defender Benjamin Fredrick, describing him as a promising talent, SportPremi reports.
The youngster made his debut for Nigeria during a Unity Cup match against Jamaica in June, but it was not until the World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in September that he made his competitive debut.
His name was a shock inclusion in the starting lineup for the match against the Amavubi, with captain William Troost-Ekong left on the bench.
However, the 20-year-old justified Eric Chelle’s decision with a very brilliant defensive showing as the Super Eagles claimed a 1-0 win in the clash.
The center-back played every minute of the country’s final six qualifying matches, including back-to-back 120 minutes of action in the playoff ties against Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In the former, he helped shut down the threat provided by the highly-prolific Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was unable to muster an attempt on goal in a subdued performance.
Fredrick also provided the assist for Victor Osimhen’s first and Nigeria’s third goal of the clash, after making a wonderful run before releasing the striker with a brilliant pass.
The defender has also shown his versatility for the national team, playing both as a center-back and also in the right-back position in some of the matches.
Oliseh lauds Fredrick’s impact
Speaking in an interview, the former Nigerian international was full of praise for the youngster and tipped him for stardom in the future.
“For me, the player that I discovered lately is Benjamin Fredrick. What I liked about him was the fact that you are talking about pressure, the boy just slipped into the team.
“One of the most difficult games, did you see the way the boy played? They piled pressure on his side, and he was still struggling, fighting, and he was calm and doing it all along”, Oliseh admitted.
“When I looked at him, I said God almighty, this is a talent.
“Dender is one hour 20 minutes from my house here, and I didn’t know it until I saw him play.”
What next for Nigeria?
The Super Eagles must bounce back from disappointment of missing out on the FIFA World Cup and maintain focus for next month’s African Cup of Nations.
Nigeria missed the chance to add to their three championships in 2024, after they were defeated by Ivory Coast 2-1 in the final.
However, they have been tipped as one of the favorites ahead of this edition and should make it out of group C that also includes Tunisia, Tanzania and Uganda.
