By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian defender Calvin Bassey has hailed Victor Osimhen as a world-class forward, admitting he felt both relieved and disappointed that the striker did not complete a move to the English Premier League last summer.
Osimhen was strongly linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal before eventually joining Turkish champions Galatasaray. Despite the intense speculation, none of the Premier League moves materialised.
Speaking to Stadium Astro, Bassey said the Galatasaray star had been eager to test himself in England, and compared his level to Manchester City’s prolific striker, Erling Haaland.
“He’s an unbelievable player. What he does for the country, what he’s done in the Champions League is amazing — a deadly striker,” Bassey said.
“I was kind of happy and upset at the same time that he didn’t come to the Premier League. It would have been good for him, but I’m happy I don’t have to play against him.”
Osimhen’s long-term future remains a subject of speculation, with reports suggesting the Nigerian forward still favours a Premier League move at some point in his career.
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.
