William Troost-Ekong gave special praise to young defender Benjamin Fredrick after Nigeria beat Rwanda 1-0 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Uyo on Saturday.
Fredrick, who is on loan at Brentford, made his first competitive start for the Super Eagles. It was only his second match for the senior team, but he stayed calm and played very well, helping goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali keep a clean sheet.
Before the game, many people were talking about the coach’s bold choice to start the young and mostly untested Fredrick in such an important match.
At the press conference after the game, Troost-Ekong was asked why he started on the bench. But he quickly changed the focus to Fredrick’s performance.
“I just want to add something to what the coach said. The focus shouldn’t be on me and why I didn’t start,” Troost-Ekong told reporters.
“We should all say a big congratulations to Benjamin. He had an amazing game today. To come into a high-pressure match like this at his age, and play like that, is not easy — especially here in Uyo.
“That’s all I wanted to say. That’s the real story — and congratulations to him.”
Now, coach Eric Chelle has a big decision to make before Nigeria’s next match against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Bloemfontein. Should he keep Fredrick in the starting team, or bring back experienced players like Chidozie Awaziem or Troost-Ekong?
Fredrick was recently named Brentford B’s Players’ Player of the Season for 2024–25 after helping the team win the U21 Professional Development League and reach the Premier League Cup final.