AFCON 2023: Fulham boss sad to lose Bassey to Super Eagles duty

Fulham manager Marco Silva is disappointed in-form defender Calvin Bassey won’t be available for selection for a long time.

Bassey has been in fantastic form for the Whites in recent outings.

The 24-year-old put up a strong display in Fulham’s 2-1 victory against Arsenal last Sunday.

The centre-back was a rock at the heart of Fulham’s defence, limiting the Gunners attackers to just three shots on target in the game.

The centre-back also boasted a season-best pass accuracy of 95.2 per cent.

Bassey and his compatriot Alex Iwobi will join Nigeria’s camp ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.

Silva expressed disappointment that the former Rangers player won’t be available to play for the club in the next couple of games.

“He’s strong, he’s quick, he has quality on the ball, always has the right mindset to learn, to listen, to improve every single day. I’m really pleased for him. Unfortunately, we are going to lose him for a long time now because he’s going to the Africa Cup of Nations,” he told the club’s official website.