Former Super Eagles defender Efe Ambrose believes Calvin Bassey, not Victor Osimhen, will be Nigeria’s most important player when they face Gabon in the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff semi-final this month, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria, who sealed their place in the playoffs after a dominant 4–0 victory over Benin Republic, will take on the Panthers on November 13 in Morocco. The winner will advance to meet either Cameroon or DR Congo for Africa’s slot in next year’s intercontinental playoffs.
While much of the attention has been on Osimhen, Nigeria’s all-time second-highest goalscorer, Ambrose insists the Fulham defender deserves more credit for his consistency and defensive leadership.
“I don’t think he (Calvin Bassey) has had a bad game for the Super Eagles since the last AFCON,” Ambrose told Owngoal as per Legit.
“In the World Cup qualifiers group stage, he played all of the games and paired with three separate players in all of the minutes.”
The former Celtic and Hibernian centre-back added that defenders like Bassey rarely get the respect they deserve.
“To me he isn’t getting the respect that he deserves because his job is not to score goals like Victor Osimhen but to stop them,” Ambrose continued.
“So with all due respect to Osimhen, the playoff is like a cup tournament and you need defenders much more than you need forwards.”
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Calvin Bassey and Victor Osimhen: Two faces of Nigeria’s strength
Bassey’s influence has been quietly immense.
The 25-year-old featured in every minute of Nigeria’s ten qualifying matches, the only player to do so, and even scored a crucial equaliser in the 1–1 draw with South Africa in Bloemfontein last September.
His defensive intelligence, pace, and positional discipline have made him a key figure under successive Super Eagles coaches.
In the heart of Nigeria’s defence, Bassey has been partnered with William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi and youngster Benjamin Fredrick.
The former Ajax and Rangers man will again be among the first names on the team list when Nigeria take to the pitch against Gabon.
Meanwhile, Osimhen has delivered his usual firepower. The Galatasaray striker netted six goals to finish as Nigeria’s top scorer in the qualifiers, including a hat-trick against Benin Republic in the final group match. His performances also saw him surpass Super Eagles legend Segun Odegbami on the all-time scorers list.
The Super Eagles lost none of the six qualifiers Osimhen was involved in and won two of the three matches he scored in, the exception being the 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in Uyo.