Nigeria and Fulham centre-back Calvin Chinedu Bassey made a proud return to club duties by arriving at Fulham’s training ground wearing his Nigeria tracksuit, fresh from international duty at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The powerful defender was one of Nigeria’s standout performers at the tournament, playing a crucial role as the Super Eagles secured a third-place finish and claimed the bronze medal in Morocco.
Bassey’s consistency, leadership, and commanding presence at the heart of defence earned him widespread praise, with his performances rightly rewarded by a place in the AFCON Team of the Tournament (Best XI).
The moment symbolised a confident return to club football, as Bassey carried the pride and momentum of international success back to London. With his stock rising after an impressive continental campaign, Fulham will be hoping to benefit from a defender brimming with confidence and match sharpness.
Having proven his quality on Africa’s biggest stage, Bassey now turns his focus to club commitments, determined to maintain the same high standards in the Premier League.
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.
