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Super Eagles of Nigeria have suffered an injury blow in the players' department ahead of the March 2026 international friendlies.
Nigeria have been dealt a defensive blow ahead of their upcoming international friendlies, with Fulham centre-back Calvin Bassey withdrawing from the Super Eagles squad due to a back injury.
The 25-year-old had been named in head coach Eric Chelle's squad for the four-nation invitational tournament in Antalya, Turkey, where Nigeria are set to face Iran on March 27 before taking on Jordan on March 31. However, Bassey will play no part in either fixture after picking up the knock, handing Chelle an early selection headache at the back.
Bassey's absence is a significant one. Alongside names like Maduka Okoye, Frank Onyeka, and Samuel Chukwueze, the Fulham defender had been considered among the experienced regulars integral to the squad. His withdrawal leaves a gap in central defence that Chelle will now need to fill from the remaining options at his disposal.
The Super Eagles are not short of defensive cover, however. The squad includes Oluwasemilogo Ajayi of Hull City, Bright Osayi-Samuel of Birmingham City, Bruno Onyemaechi of Olympiakos, Zaidu Sanusi of FC Porto, Igoh Ogbu of Slavia Prague, and new call-up Emmanuel Fernandez of Glasgow Rangers.
Ogbu, in particular, is no stranger to stepping in as the defender previously deputised for Bassey during the AFCON 2025 bronze medal match against Egypt and showed he could hold his own at the highest level.
This is not the first time Bassey has been unavailable for Nigeria this season. He missed the AFCON third-place playoff against Egypt after picking up a yellow card in the semi-final defeat to Morocco, meaning the Antalya tournament would have been a chance to return to full involvement with the national team. That opportunity will now have to wait.
The timing is also notable given the broader context surrounding the squad. These fixtures are positioned as strategic test games, aimed at refining the squad ahead of upcoming competitive assignments, including qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Jordan's capital, Amman, but was relocated to the Turkish city of Antalya due to security concerns in the Middle East.
Coach Chelle is yet to officially confirm a replacement for Bassey, but the expectation is that one of the existing defensive options in camp will be shifted into his starting role. Nigeria will be keen to use the two fixtures to build cohesion and momentum as preparations for continental qualification begin to take shape.
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