Sunday Oliseh: Ex-Super Eagles Captain Snubs Osimhen, Picks Nigeria’s Best Player Against Gabon
- Sunday Oliseh has crowned 20-year-old Benjamin Fredrick as Nigeria’s best player in the 4-1 victory against Gabon
- The Super Eagles defeated Gabon after extra time to reach the World Cup playoff final
- Nigeria now prepares for a decisive showdown with DR Congo for a place in the intercontinental playoff
Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has singled out young centre-back Benjamin Fredrick as Nigeria’s standout performer in the Super Eagles’ dramatic 4-1 win over Gabon on Thursday night, despite Victor Osimhen scoring twice to seal the victory.
Nigeria booked their place in the final of the African play-offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a tense semifinal in Rabat, which required extra time before Eric Chelle’s men finally overpowered a stubborn Gabonese side.
Source: Getty Images
The match had remained on a knife-edge after 90 minutes.
According to Livescores, Akor Adams had put Nigeria ahead in the 78th minute, pouncing on a poor back pass from the Gabon defence, only for Mario Lemina to fire home a deflected equaliser in the 89th minute.
With the score level at 1–1, the game entered extra time, and Nigeria unleashed their full attacking power.
Chidera Ejuke restored Nigeria’s lead with a composed finish in the 97th minute before Victor Osimhen took over the spotlight.
The Galatasaray striker found the net twice, first in the 102nd minute after a surging run from Benjamin Fredrick, and again in the 110th minute, to put the game beyond Gabon’s reach.
Osimhen, in visible relief after earlier missing a stoppage-time sitter in regulation time, celebrated by ripping off his face mask and shirt.
Oliseh hails Fredrick’s impact
While Osimhen’s goals dominated headlines, Sunday Oliseh insisted the real hero of the night was 20-year-old defender Benjamin Fredrick.
Source: Getty Images
The Brentford loanee, currently at Belgium’s Dender FC, delivered a composed and commanding performance, neutralising Gabon’s most dangerous attackers, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Denis Bouanga.
Fredrick’s sharp reading of the game, clean positioning, and maturity in possession were crucial to Nigeria’s defensive stability.
The 20-year-old defender’s performance was strong enough that head coach Eric Chelle opted to leave captain William Troost-Ekong on the bench for most of the match.
Oliseh took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the young star, writing:
“I personally found Benjamin Frédéric to be the most influential player yesterday versus Gabon for SuperEagles. Always well positioned, pacy, decisive and played Simple. Now let's celebrate today. But from Tomorrow CONGO needs to be our next Victim. Boy it feels great in the morning when Naija do well Sha! Abi i lie?”
Nigeria turns focus to DR Congo
With Gabon now behind them, the Super Eagles shift their attention to Sunday’s crucial playoff final against DR Congo.
According to the BBC, the Leopards stunned continental giants Cameroon 1-0 in the other semifinal, with captain Chancel Mbemba scoring in stoppage time at Stade El Barid.
The winner of the final will advance to the six-team intercontinental playoff next March in Mexico.
There, two remaining slots for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, will be up for grabs.
CAF hails Osimhen after brace
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has praised Victor Osimhen after his brace in Nigeria's 4-1 win against Gabon in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs on Thursday night, November 13.
The Super Eagles' win over the Panthers has put them in a better position to become Africa's representative at the inter-continental playoffs in March 2026.
Source: Legit.ng
