Calvin Bassey has been ruled out of Nigeria’s next match at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after picking up a suspension.
The Super Eagles defender will miss the upcoming fixture after receiving a yellow card in the first half of Nigeria’s tense semi-final clash against tournament hosts Morocco. The caution proved costly, as it was Bassey’s second booking of the tournament, having previously been shown a yellow card in Nigeria’s second-round encounter against Mozambique.
Bassey was cautioned during a tightly contested opening half in which Morocco enjoyed the greater share of possession, while Nigeria focused on defensive organisation and discipline. The booking means the Fulham centre-back is automatically suspended for Nigeria’s next match under CAF regulations.
Had the Super Eagles progressed to the final, Bassey would have been unavailable for the championship match due to the accumulation of yellow cards, dealing a blow to Nigeria’s defensive options at a crucial stage of the tournament.
In the other semi-final played on Wednesday evening, Senegal edged Egypt 1–0 to secure their place in the final. The reigning African champions were set to await the winner of the clash between Nigeria and Morocco.
At half-time in Rabat, the scoreline remained 0–0, with both sides searching for a decisive breakthrough in the second half.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
