Brentford defender Benjamin Fredrick credits Nigeria coach Chelle for national team debut

Brentford youngster Benjamin Fredrick has given credit to Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle following his debut call-up for the 2025 Unity Cup in London.

The 20-year-old centre-back was handed his first senior appearance against Jamaica in their victory over the Reggae Boyz in the final – a game that ended 2-2 before a 5-4 triumph in the penalty shootout.

Frederick, who played for the under-20 national team in 2023, has also been named in the Super Eagles squad that will play against Russia in another international friendly on Friday, June 6.

Taking to his Instagram page, Fredrick, who is yet to make a senior appearance for Brentford, shared an inspiring message reflecting on the significance of his first appearance for the national team.

“Every great story has a beginning,” he stated. “The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. All glory to God for my Super Eagles debut. The journey continues. Huge thanks to the manager and the incredible coaching staff for believing in me,” he added.

Super Eagles head coach Chelle was full of praise for Fredrick after their Unity Cup glory. The ex-Malian international shared his thoughts after the game at the GTech Community Stadium.

“Benjamin Frederick was good. He was very calm and composed. Technically, he’s close to perfect — especially when it comes to touching the ball and making strong passes,” Chelle said.

“He reads the game well, but of course, there’s room for improvement. We conceded a goal, and maybe he could have done something differently in that situation. Like I always say about our players — even when they play well — we still need to improve every day.”

Nigeria clinched the 2025 Unity Cup after dispatching rivals Ghana by 2-1 before seeing off Jamaica in the final.

The upcoming friendly match, set to take place at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, is the first-ever senior-level meeting between Nigeria and Russia.