Former Super Eagles midfielder Sunday Oliseh has sparked excitement and curiosity after singling out 20-year-old Benjamin Fredrick as Nigeria’s “most influential player” in the team’s dramatic 4–1 extra-time win over Gabon in the 2026 World Cup playoff semi-final.
Nigeria entered the playoff stage buoyed by a 4–0 win over Benin Republic, where Victor Osimhen delivered an unforgettable hat-trick.
But the semi-final clash against Gabon was anything but straightforward. Akor Adams opened the scoring, only for Gabon to strike back and force the match into extra time.
That was when the momentum shifted. Chidera Ejuke restored Nigeria’s advantage, and Osimhen followed with two more goals to seal the 4–1 victory.
Yet, amid the goals and celebrations, it was the quiet brilliance of Benjamin Fredrick, alongside Calvin Bassey, that caught Oliseh’s attention. The duo anchored a disciplined defence that shut down Gabon’s late threats.
Taking to X on Friday, Oliseh praised the young defender’s maturity and impact, writing:
“I personally found Benjamin Fredrick to be the most influential player yesterday versus Gabon for SuperEagles. Always well positioned, pacy, decisive and played simply… But from tomorrow, Congo needs to be our next victim.”
With Nigeria now preparing to face the winner of the Cameroon vs. DR Congo tie on November 16, all eyes are on Fredrick—a rising star whose calm authority may prove crucial in the next do-or-die showdown for a ticket to the inter-continental playoff.
Fredrick’s journey has been anything but ordinary. From the Simoiben Academy in Kaduna to spells with ABS FC and Nasarawa United, his path led him abroad in 2023 when Brentford FC signed him and sent him on loan to Belgian side K.F.C. Dender E.H.
His versatility, capable of playing centre-back, right-back, or defensive midfield, helped fast-track his rise from Nigeria’s U-20s to the senior Super Eagles squad by May 2025.
