Fredrick starting ahead of Troost-Ekong: Eric Chelle refuses to justify gamble that paid off

The Super Eagles secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Rwanda in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Saturday, keeping their qualification hopes alive.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' deadline day signing Tolu Arokodare emerged as the hero, pouncing on a loose ball to bundle home the decisive goal just five minutes after coming off the bench.

Nigeria manager Eric Chelle raised eyebrows with his team selection, handing a home debut to untested but highly rated Brentford loanee Benjamin Fredrick. 

The bold move meant experienced centre-back and captain William Troost-Ekong was left on the bench at kickoff.

Fredrick, who joined Brentford in 2023 after impressing at the Fifa U20 World Cup, has only six senior appearances to his name since moving to Europe, all for loan club FCV Dender EH in the Jupiler Pro League this season. 

The 20-year-old had earned just one previous Super Eagles cap, in a friendly against Jamaica in May 2025, before making his competitive debut against Rwanda.

Despite his lack of experience, Fredrick looked composed on his first real test at international level, helping goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali secure a clean sheet in a tense contest.

At the post-match press conference, Chelle was asked to explain why captain Troost-Ekong was left out of the starting XI.

"This is my choice and I don’t want to explain my choice. My job is to make choices and I did it. The most important thing is the three points," Chelle told reporters. 

Pressed further on his decision to start Fredrick in such a high-stakes match, the Malian football tactician stressed the importance of respecting all his players.

"Like I said, I don’t want to explain my choice because I need to respect all my players. If I choose something, this is my job. 

"If we win, everybody says good choice; if we lose, everybody says bad choice. This is my choice. If I start to explain my choice, it will be very, very difficult."

Chelle later turned to experience in the closing stages, bringing on Troost-Ekong in the 87th minute to replace Cyriel Dessers and help secure the result.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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