By Dayo Awoniyi
Fulham FC has strongly condemned the racist abuse directed at Nigerian defender Calvin Bassey following his goal in the FA Cup fifth-round match against Manchester United.
In a statement released on Monday, the club expressed its outrage over the incident and reiterated its commitment to fighting discrimination in football.
Fulham also pledged to support Bassey and collaborate with authorities to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable.
“We are utterly appalled at the racist and homophobic abuse received by Calvin Bassey,” the statement read.
“We strongly condemn this abhorrent behavior, which has no place in football or society.”
The swift response from Fulham underscores the club’s commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all players.
By standing in solidarity with Bassey, Fulham sends a strong message against racism and discrimination in football.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
