Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong was impressed by the performance of debutant Benjamin Fredrick in Nigeria’s hard-earned 1-0 win over Rwanda on Saturday.
Fredrick, 20, was a surprise inclusion in the Super Eagles starting lineup ahead of the regular Troost-Ekong, but showed no signs of rust as he produced a commanding defensive display.
The match was his first competitive appearance for Nigeria, and a second cap overall after he featured in the penalty shootout win over Jamaica in the Unity Cup in May.
Speaking after the match, Ekong showed little concern about Eric Chelle’s decision to start him on the bench, but praised the Brentford defender for his rock-solid display.
“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.
“That is the only thing I wanted to add and that’s the real question that should be answered and congratulations to him”, he added.
The Super Eagles won the reverse fixture 2-0 in March, with a double from Victor Osimhen giving them their first qualifying victory.
Tolu Arokodare netted the only goal of the game in the second half of a tough clash, to send Nigeria to third on the standings.
They now have 10 points, although they are still six points behind South Africa who are top of Group C.
The three-time African champions head to Bloemfontein on Tuesday for a crucial task of securing all three points against Bafana Bafana to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
