In an exclusive report, Sportblog247.com reveals that Premier League club Brentford is unlikely to release Benjamin Fredrick to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the 2023 African Games. Fredrick, still eligible for the Flying Eagles, has been included in the 30-player provisional roster for the tournament scheduled in Ghana from March 8 to March 22, 2024.

Having played a crucial role in the 2023 Africa U20 Cup of Nations and World Cup, where he contributed to seven clean sheets in ten appearances, the Simoiben FC product’s release by Brentford is uncertain. The Bees are not obligated to release Fredrick, as the competition falls outside the recognized FIFA international match calendar, making it impractical for the NFF to push for his release.

As of now, there are no plans to add another foreign-based player to the provisional roster due to the aforementioned reasons. Despite Fredrick’s recent rise in prominence, earning four first-team call-ups from Brentford, he has remained a non-playing substitute in those games, including two in the Premier League.

In addition to Fredrick, Nathaniel Nwosu and Daniel Bameyi, who were part of last year’s World Cup squad, have also been named in the U20 national team training camp roster. The Flying Eagles are set to face Uganda, South Sudan, Senegal, and Tunisia in the group stage of the 2023 African Games.