AFCON Brotherhood: Calvin Bassey Sends Emotional Message to Injured Teammate Fredrick

Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has voiced his disappointment over the absence of teammate Benjamin Fredrick from Nigeria’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Nigeria begin their AFCON campaign against Tanzania on Tuesday evening, but Fredrick will play no part in the tournament’s opening fixture after being sidelined by injury.

Speaking to journalists in Morocco ahead of the clash, Bassey expressed regret that the Brentford loanee would miss the opportunity to feature on Africa’s biggest football stage, while also wishing him a swift recovery.

Bassey admitted he had not yet spoken directly with Fredrick but described the situation as deeply unfortunate.

“It’s really disappointing,” the Fulham defender said. “This would have been a great platform for him to show his quality at the AFCON.”

He added, “I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he’ll be back with us very soon.”

Fredrick was ruled out of the tournament after sustaining a knee injury, forcing him to withdraw from the Super Eagles squad ahead of the competition.