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When Calvin Bassey returned from AFCON 2025, the fanfare, love and praise he received were inevitable. None of it felt forced, and it was all natural. He had earned it.
The Nigerian defender was one of the tournament’s standout performers, and honestly, you could argue he was the best of them in his position. Game after game, Bassey imposed himself with authority, marrying physical power with a sharp reading of danger, and he did it with so much aplomb.
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He racked up defensive actions with intelligence rather than recklessness, throwing his body into challenges when required, but also knowing when to hold his ground. Nigeria looked more secure with him on the pitch, calmer even in moments of pressure — a perfect example being the semi-final clash against hosts Morocco.
And then there was the other side of his game. The part many already knew, but which he elevated in Morocco.
Bassey did beyond defending, he progressed play when he could. His ability to step out from the back, to turn defence into attack, became a quiet but crucial outlet for the Super Eagles at the tournament.
Those diagonal and cross-field passes, hit early and with purpose, gave Nigeria width, tempo and breathing space.
It was simply the performance of a defender fully in command of his craft.
Since returning from national team duty, Bassey has found himself starting from the bench at Fulham, a curious twist for a player who, before AFCON, had been one of the club’s most influential performers, week in, week out.
During the first half of the season, his energy and defensive solidity anchored the team.
While Bassey was delivering on the international stage, a vacuum opened up back at Fulham. Into it stepped Jorge Cuenca, who rose to the challenge for Marco Silva’s side.
The Spanish youngster seized his chance, and his form has made it increasingly difficult for Marco Silva to simply return to the pre-AFCON setup that had Bassey as a regular starter.
From a tactical standpoint, it’s difficult for Bassey to get straight back into the team, considering how well Cuenca filled in during his absence.
This is the paradox of football. What you do on one stage doesn’t always carry over to another. Bassey’s AFCON run was so strong that his absence from Fulham’s starting XI at the moment almost feels unfair. But Cuenca’s emergence has changed things.
Bassey’s quality surely hasn’t disappeared. But football is also about timing, form and taking your chance when it comes. Over the past few weeks, that chance has belonged to Cuenca, and he has taken it.
It’s also a psychological battle. Returning from AFCON, Bassey might have expected to step straight back into the side, with the narrative of his AFCON performance acting as a passport to minutes. Instead, he faces the challenge of patience, and proving his value all over again.
Still, this isn’t unfamiliar territory for Bassey. His career has never moved in a straight line. From Rangers to Ajax to Fulham, every step has come with its own reset button for him. New leagues, new expectations, new questions to answer. More than once, he’s had to go again, to earn his place all over, and that has shaped the kind of player he is.
He’s comfortable in competition. Pressure doesn’t scare him, it sharpens him.
And Fulham will need that version of Bassey again.
There’s still a run of games left this season.
Suspensions happen. Injuries happen. Tactical tweaks happen. Cuenca’s form may dip, or Silva may need more aggression in certain games. When that moment comes, Bassey has to be ready, and he has shown he can in many instances.
Fulham haven’t moved on from Calvin Bassey. They have simply found another solution in his absence, and reclaiming his place won’t come through reputation alone.
It will come the hard way. And if AFCON proved anything, it’s that Bassey doesn’t shy away from that fight.
