Nigeria’s preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations have suffered a major setback after defender Benjamin Fredrick was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury.

 

The 20-year-old centre-back sustained the injury during training with Belgian club Dender on Friday and is not expected to return to action until after the continental showpiece in Morocco. Fredrick, who is on loan from English Premier League side Brentford, had become a key figure in Eric Chelle’s setup, starting Nigeria’s last six matches.

 

His enforced withdrawal comes as a significant blow to the Super Eagles, who are entering the final phase of their AFCON build-up.

Meanwhile, Nigeria have submitted a 55-man provisional squad to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as required under the body’s updated competition rules. CAF now allows teams to register up to 27 players for major tournaments, although only 23 will be financially covered by the governing body. Any additional players will be at the expense of the participating federation.

 

The provisional list—finalised by head coach Eric Chelle—features most of the established national team regulars, while also including several emerging talents who have been monitored quietly in recent months. These younger prospects are viewed as long-term components of Nigeria’s evolving squad.

 

The Super Eagles are set to open their training camp on 8 December in Morocco, where Chelle will trim the provisional roster down to between 24 and 27 players ahead of the team’s official arrival for the tournament.