Super Eagles Captain Praises Rookie Defender’s Composure, Deflecting Attention from His Own Surprise Bench Role
In a powerful display of leadership, Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong shifted the spotlight away from his own surprise absence from the starting lineup to instead heap praise on the rookie who took his place, Benjamin Fredrick, following Nigeria’s tense 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Rwanda on Saturday.
The major pre-match talking point was manager Eric Chelle’s bold gamble to start the 20-year-old Fredrick, on loan from Brentford, for his competitive debut in a must-win fixture. The young defender answered any doubts with a remarkably composed performance, forming a solid defensive wall that helped goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali secure a crucial clean sheet.
When questioned at the post-match press conference about his unexpected role starting from the bench, Troost-Ekong immediately redirected the conversation to celebrate his young teammate.
“I want to add something to what the coach said. The focus shouldn’t be on me, why I didn’t start,” Troost-Ekong told reporters. “We should say a big congratulations to Benjamin. He played an amazing game today. To come in a game that is loaded with a lot of pressure at his age here in Uyo is not an easy thing.”
He concluded, “That is the only thing I wanted to add and that’s the real question that should be answered—congratulations to him.”
Fredrick’s performance now presents Manager Eric Chelle with a welcome but crucial decision for the upcoming final qualifier against South Africa. He must choose whether to keep faith with the in-form youngster or recall the experienced trio of Troost-Ekong or Chidozie Awaziem for the potential winner-takes-all showdown in Bloemfontein.
The debutant’s composure on the international stage comes as no surprise to those who have followed his progress. Fredrick was recently named Brentford B’s Players’ Player of the Season for 2024-2025, a testament to his standout performances that propelled the team to a U21 league title and a cup final.
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