Ben Cabango providing the goods at both ends of the pitch to hand Swansea a slim victory

Swansea City’s star-man Ben Cabango covered himself in glory against Coventry this week after a stunning defensive performance.

The Welsh international was drafted into Steve Cooper’s starting 11 this week due to the injury of experienced centre-back Ryan Bennett. Cabango replaced him at half-time against Huddersfield over the weekend but he’d have been disappointed as the Swans conceded three goals in his first ten minutes on the pitch.

However, Swansea’s defensive display was far better this week and they have the Welshman to thank for that after a great performance.

Before the game, the defender hadn’t started for the Swans in three league games, but due to an injury, he was able to come in and prove how good of a player he is.

In recent matches, Cooper has opted for experience with Kyle Naughton but it was time for Cabango to play alongside the former England U21 international in Bennett’s absence.

The Swans boss had given the 20-year-old a vital role at the heart of his back-line, a role which he’s used to playing whenever he’s in the team.

The young defender headed home the winner against Coventry in the 54th minute from a Conor Hourihane’ corner. The goal now brings him to four in total for the season and he becomes Swansea’s third-highest scorer in all competitions on his 51st appearance for the club.

After Naughton had limped off in the 70th minute, Joel Latibeaudiere coming on meant that all of the back-three were born in this millennium an incredible stat that shows Cooper’s eye for talent and the belief that he has in his younger players.

Throughout the 90 minutes, Cabango showcased an exceptional performance proving that he has no fear and will always support his team-mates whenever there’s a sense of negativity or doubt amongst the players. A true future captain’s performance for a defender with such a bright career ahead of him.

Another quality defensive performance from the Swans handed them their 17th clean sheet in the league this season, creeping up on their old record of 23.

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The match-winner spoke with Swans TV after the final whistle and was full of praise for his team.

“It was the perfect evening – a goal, a clean sheet and three points.

“We’re just a solid unit – it’s not just the back four, it’s the whole team from Andre and Jamal to the midfielders and how hard everyone works for that clean sheet.

“It’s so important to us. We strive to get those three points and the clean sheet. It helps us to build.”

This is now a huge opportunity for Cabango to continue his progression and to cement his place in the starting line-up for club and country. With Wales’ regular defensive partnership Chris Mepham and Joe Rodon struggling for game-time, the Swans defender should expect to be in contention to start in the World Cup Qualifiers against Belgium and the Czech Republic next month.

With two caps already under his belt, Cabango is no stranger to international football, especially during his loan spell at Cymru Premier side TNS in the 2018-19 season. The New Saints enjoyed a good run in the UEFA Europa League, eventually being eliminated by FC Midtjylland in the third qualifying round while the on-loan defender played in all six games.

Despite this being only his second full season with the first-team, it’s clear to see that Cabango has grown as a player. Even though he developed well during his time at TNS, first-team exposure at Swansea has definitely helped him along the way, playing with some of his team-mates at youth level and learning from experienced defenders such as Bennett and Naughton.

A no-nonsense defender who loves an aerial battle and doesn’t mind putting it in row-z, Swansea will look to keep such a talent for as long as they can whether they get promoted this season or not. Elite clubs will surely be keeping a close eye on him, however as we saw with the sale of Rodon, Cabango won’t be cheap.