AFCON 2025
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has explained how watching Lionel Messi play for Argentina at the World Cup in 2018, convinced him to play for Nigeria.
Born to Nigerian parents in Italy and raised in England, Bassey could represent any of the three countries internationally. However, watching Messi’s brilliance on the pitch sealed the deal for him.
“It all changed when Nigeria played Argentina in the 2018 World Cup,” Bassey shared with Sky Sports.
“They lost 2-1, but what a game!”
Messi’s incredible goal left Bassey in awe.
“Messi, of course – Messi is Messi, innit? He scored that outrageous goal. I think it was knee, foot, then right foot. It was top.”
That moment sparked something in Bassey, the feeling of playing for your country on the biggest stage was too good to turn down.
“That was more of motivation to me to want to play for Nigeria and also play on the big stage.”
Bassey now stars for Fulham in the English Premier League, where he is ever-present alongside Joachim Andersen in the heart of Marco Silva’s defence.
He has also been a starter for the Super Eagles over the past 18 months and was influential on the left side of a back-three as Nigeria reached the final of AFCON 2023.
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