Former Nigeria international Juwon Oshaniwa has expressed sympathy for Super Eagles defender, Calvin Bassey following the defender’s difficult return to Fulham after the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Bassey, who was a key figure for Nigeria during their AFCON campaign, has struggled for minutes since rejoining Fulham.
The centre-back is yet to start a match since returning from the continental showpiece and was an unused substitute in Fulham’s recent Premier League clash against Everton.
Speaking to Brila.net, Oshaniwa described the situation as frustrating, especially considering Bassey’s strong performances at the tournament.
He, however, urged the defender to remain focused and keep working hard while awaiting his opportunity.
“It is a very bad one. You’re talking about someone that just finished a very big tournament like AFCON the biggest tournament on the African continent where he had a brilliant outing.
“Coming back to sit on the bench is not a good situation at all,” Oshaniwa said.
“He was a regular before leaving for the tournament, so finding himself in this position shouldn’t be like that. But he should keep his head up and continue working hard, even in training, while he waits for his chance.”
Since returning from AFCON, Bassey has managed just four minutes of Premier League action, coming on briefly against Manchester United.
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He was benched against Brighton and did not feature at all in the match against Everton.
This marks a sharp contrast from his pre-AFCON form, where the 26-year-old featured in 15 matches and started every single Premier League game for Fulham before departing for international duty.
