Flying Eagles forward Precious Benjamin has completed a season-long loan move from Hoffenheim to newly promoted Austrian Bundesliga side SC Austria Lustenau for the 2026/27 campaign.
The German club confirmed the deal on Tuesday, with the 19-year-old set to remain at Lustenau until 2027 as he continues his development with regular first-team football.
Benjamin will reunite with fellow Nigerian Emmanuel Chukwu, who was also sent on loan to the Austrian club by Hoffenheim just a few days earlier.
The pair have followed similar career paths since joining Hoffenheim from Nigerian side Grassrunners FC in February 2025. Having arrived at the Bundesliga club together, they will now continue their development side by side in Austria.
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Both players were members of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles squad that secured a third-place finish at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. Benjamin featured in five of the team’s six matches during the tournament, while Chukwu played in all six games.
Benjamin spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Austrian club Altach, where he made nine senior appearances across all competitions and also featured for the club’s junior team.
Chukwu, meanwhile, was loaned to Wolfsberger AC, making 13 appearances for the senior side while also gaining playing time with the club’s junior team.
Their latest move offers another opportunity to gain valuable experience in the Austrian top flight before returning to Hoffenheim.
Austria Lustenau earned promotion to the Austrian Bundesliga after winning the second division last season, completing an immediate return to the top flight following relegation at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
The club will now be aiming to secure its top-flight status, with Benjamin and Chukwu expected to play key roles in their fight to avoid relegation during the upcoming season.
