‘Talented, tough defender’ — Ex-AFCON star identifies Ekong’s Super Eagles heir ahead of 2025 AFCON

Mamadou Niang, the former Senegal forward and Marseille legend, believes the Super Eagles already have the perfect successor to William Troost-Ekong, arguing that Calvin Bassey has developed into the kind of dominant defender capable of leading Nigeria’s backline.

His comments come just days after Troost-Ekong shocked Nigerian fans by retiring from international football following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Troost-Ekong’s retirement brought an emotional end to a decade-long career highlighted by his 2023 AFCON Player of the Tournament award, but Niang insists Nigeria will not be left with a void for long.

Speaking on Canal+, he praised Bassey’s growth and consistency, saying, “With what I see at Fulham, the impact he has in Premier League matches, he is a talented, tough defender who has very good distribution with his left foot, and athletic quality which is above average.”

While the former captain had slipped behind rising star Benjamin Fredrick in recent squad selections, Bassey has moved in the opposite direction, becoming indispensable for club and country.

Niang added, “He is a player I think is a leader of the Nigeria defence, who can replace Troost-Ekong, who took this Nigerian team to the Afcon final. Calvin Bassey is more than capable of succeeding him in that position.”

Bassey’s growing influence was unmistakable during Nigeria’s 2023 AFCON campaign in Ivory Coast, where he played a key role in securing four straight clean sheets alongside goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.

His reliability carried into the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, during which he was the only Nigerian to feature in every minute, including the tense playoff matches.

Niang believes this blend of resilience, athleticism and balance makes Bassey the natural heir to Troost-Ekong as Nigeria prepare for AFCON 2025 in Morocco.

With Troost-Ekong bowing out and a new generation emerging, Bassey now looks set to become the central figure in a reshaped Super Eagles defence.