Eric Chelle Hails Bassey as AFCON’s Best Centre-Back, Tips Him for World’s Top Three

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has lavished praise on Calvin Bassey, describing the Fulham defender as the standout centre-back of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and backing him to become one of the best in the world.

Speaking after ahead of Nigeria’s AFCON third place match against Egypt, Chelle highlighted Bassey’s consistency, rapid development, and growing leadership role within the Super Eagles setup.

“Since last year, Calvin Bassey is the player who has played the most games for the Super Eagles,” Chelle said. “Match after match, he kept improving. Every performance was better than the previous one. His AFCON has been crazy — he did a great job.”

The Nigerian coach was unequivocal in his assessment of the defender’s impact at the tournament.

“For me, if I have to choose the best centre-back at this AFCON, I choose Calvin Bassey,” Chelle declared.

Chelle also revealed that he maintains high expectations for the 24-year-old, regardless of whether he is playing for club or country.

“We have an agreement together. Every game, whether he’s playing for Fulham or for Nigeria, he has to prove himself,” he explained.

Looking ahead, the Super Eagles boss set an ambitious target for the former Ajax and Rangers defender.

“My ambition is that by the end of next season, he will be among the top three centre-backs in the world,” Chelle said. “He works every day to improve.”

Beyond his defensive qualities, Chelle praised Bassey’s increasing influence off the ball, noting his importance within a relatively young Nigerian squad.

“He’s not only strong on the pitch, he’s becoming a leader in the group,” the coach added. “We have young players, and he takes responsibility for them. He must continue like this, because after every game, you have to be the best again.”

Bassey’s performances at AFCON 2025 have drawn widespread acclaim, reinforcing his status as one of Nigeria’s most reliable defenders and a key figure in Chelle’s plans for the future.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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