Brentford starlet Benjamin Fredrick was widely expected to be included in Nigeria's matchday squad for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash against Madagascar in Uyo on Friday evening, particularly given the late arrival of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye in camp.
Allnigeriasoccer.com now has official confirmation that manager Eric Chelle's decision to leave the former Flying Eagles star out of the squad to face the island nation had nothing to do with injury as Fredrick took part in the Super Eagles' final training session on Thursday.
Fredrick was the unfortunate player Chelle was forced to leave out of the matchday squad due to the limited number of players permitted on the official team sheet.
According to the Confederation of African Football regulations, only 23 players can be named on the official matchday sheet, comprising 11 starters and 12 substitutes.
Fredrick has been recalled to the Super Eagles squad after recovering from a serious injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of last season.
The centre-back suffered the injury in November 2025, shortly after returning from international duty with the Super Eagles.
Brentford have high hopes for Fredrick, with the London club handing him a new four-year contract in July, with a club option for the 2030-2031 season, while also promoting him to the first team on a permanent basis.
Chelle also rates the 21-year-old highly, having named Fredrick in six consecutive matchday squads before his injury and kept him on the pitch for the full duration of each game.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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