Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has reflected on Nigeria’s heartbreaking semifinal exit at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), insisting the team gave everything and remain motivated ahead of their third-place match, Bold Sports reports.
Nigeria’s quest for a fourth continental title came to an end on Wednesday after a goalless 120 minutes against hosts Morocco was settled by a penalty shootout defeat. The loss brought an end to what had been a flawless AFCON campaign for the Super Eagles, who had won all five of their matches prior to the semifinal clash.
Bassey was a key figure throughout that impressive run. The Fulham centre-back featured in every game from the group stage, anchoring a resilient defence that recorded three clean sheets across Nigeria’s three knockout fixtures.
However, the 26-year-old will miss Saturday’s third-place match against Egypt after receiving a controversial yellow card in the semifinal against Morocco.
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Reacting to the defeat, Bassey took to his official Instagram account to express pride in the team’s effort and unity. “We thank God in all situations, a gutting way to end the tournament. The support and togetherness we’ve felt has been special,” he wrote.
“Sorry we couldn’t take it all the way, we fought and gave it our all. We’ll build on this. Not finished yet though, we still have something to push for,” he added.
The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to the third-place match against Egypt, scheduled to take place at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca on Saturday, as they look to end their AFCON campaign on a positive note.
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