Fulham defender Calvin Bassey has lifted the lid on what it feels like to play in front of Nigeria’s famously relentless supporters, admitting that nothing compares to the Super Eagles crowd, Footynaija.com reports.
Bassey, 25, has built a strong reputation at both club and international level. A Player of the Season winner at Fulham last term, the centre-back has become a cornerstone for Marco Silva in the Premier League and a trusted figure for Nigeria since his debut in 2022.
But while he enjoys the backing of Fulham’s faithful, Bassey confessed that Nigerian fans operate on another level entirely.
“I prefer the Nigerian fans, they are mad. They are constantly, they are there like two hours before the game,” he said in his latest Show alongside Alex Iwobi.
“There are people there with their drums out, they’ve got everything, I’ve even seen a man with a guitar in the stands.
“They will paint their own body head to toe, they are proper sick. But they can turn on you sometimes, but when you’re winning, they cheer you on.
“But I can like, I’ve got to respect them. They turn up in every game.”
Born in Italy, raised in England and eligible to represent three countries, Bassey’s choice to wear green and white was never in doubt.
With World Cup qualifiers against Benin looming this month, the Fulham defender will once again feel the roar of the same Nigerian fans in Uyo for the last time this year.