Dessers out as Brentford wonderkid Fredrick gatecrashes Super Eagles squad for Russia

Nigeria’s Super Eagles new coach Eric Chelle has rewarded young talent Benjamin Fredricks for his impressive performance at the Unity Cup final against Jamaica in London.

But there is no place for the impressive Cyriel Dessers and Kelechi Iheanacho in the revised squad for the upcoming friendly against Russia.

Fredricks, a promising Brentford academy player, was initially not invited to the Unity Cup or the Russia friendly slated for Friday, June 6, at the 78,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium.

However, after Ahmed Musa withdrew from the squad for personal reasons, Fredricks seized the opportunity and delivered a standout showing in the final against Jamaica.

His performance in the tense clash earned him a call-up to join the rest of the team in the updated squad announced on Monday evening.

Despite scoring one goal and providing an assist in two Unity Cup matches, Rangers striker Dessers was left out of the revised list, as were Stanley Nwabali, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Ola Aina.

Fredricks, the Brentford U21 Player of the season, appears to have taken Aina’s spot in the squad.

The new squad also features a fresh inclusion in little-known Olakunle Olusegun of Krasnodar, Russia, while Sodiq Ismail, Papa Daniel, and Saviour Isaac from Enugu Rangers continue to represent the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) contingent.

Fredricks’ inclusion signals a fresh injection of youthful energy into the Super Eagles as they prepare for the friendly against Russia, while the absence of established names like Dessers and Iheanacho points to a shift in the squad dynamics under coach Eric Chelle.

The Franco-Malian will be looking for the Super Eagles to maintain the winning style from the Unity Cup with another impressive showing against the Russians.