Super Eagles defender Benjamin Fredrick played his first match in 287 days on Monday. He had a long break due to a knee injury, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Fredrick played 45 minutes for Brentford U-21 as they won 5-1 against Sunderland U-21 at Wheatsheaf Park.
Kaye Furo, the son of former Nigeria international Iyenemi Furo, scored three goals in the match.
Fredrick, 21, has been out since November 2025. He played for Nigeria in the tough 2026 World Cup African play-offs against Gabon and DR Congo in Morocco. He was on the pitch for 120 minutes in those games.
He got injured while training with FCV Dender EH in Belgium, where he was on loan from Brentford.
Because of this injury, he missed the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. The Super Eagles won a bronze medal in that tournament.
On Monday, Fredrick started for Brentford U-21, helping them grab their second win of the Premier League 2 season. He was substituted by Ollie Shield at half-time.
Fredrick impressed at the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Argentina. He made his way into the Super Eagles last year, playing a key role under Eric Chelle during Nigeria’s Unity Cup win in London. He earned more chances in the World Cup qualifiers.
His return comes at a good time. The next international break is near, and Chelle is set to gather his squad for Nigeria’s 2027 AFCON qualifying matches.
Nigeria is in Group L of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. They will face Madagascar, co-hosts Tanzania, and Guinea-Bissau to qualify for the tournament.
Fredrick hopes to play more minutes and get back into the first team after fully recovering.
The Brentford U-21s will now focus on their next Premier League Cup match. They will travel to face Hull City on Tuesday, September 8.
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