Bassey upset with draw in Warsaw

Fulham defender Calvin Bassey has said the Super Eagles should have done better after giving up the lead twice to draw 2-2 with Poland in Warsaw. He believes Nigeria had enough quality to win the match, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Bassey came on at half-time as one of seven substitutions made by Eric Chelle. This change helped change the game in the second half.

Nigeria went into half-time level at 1-1. Terem Moffi scored in the 23rd minute, but Kacper Potulski equalized in first-half stoppage time.

Paul Onuachu put Nigeria back in the lead with a penalty in the 80th minute. VAR noticed a handball in the Polish area. The Eagles seemed set to grab a good away win in front of over 54,000 fans at the PGE Narodowy Stadium.

But Przemysław Wiśniewski scored from 25 yards deep into stoppage time. This goal earned the hosts a draw, leaving Nigeria feeling frustrated.

"We should have got the win. Two late goals in both halves. It shows there was something we could adjust," Bassey said in the mixed zone after the match.

The defender was careful not to criticize the group too much. He pointed out that the camp was disrupted. Many players arrived at different times before the friendly, which limited the preparation time for Chelle and his staff.

"A lot of us had different arrival times. A few of us joined camp yesterday, so it is good to get some minutes in the legs," Bassey said.

Even with the late disappointment, Bassey felt encouraged by the performance. Several players made their senior debuts during the match. Chelle used this chance to check on less experienced members of his squad ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

"I think there were positives to take out of it. We are trying to build and improve game by game. Overall, I think it was a good performance from the boys. A lot of changes, and there are a lot of boys not here from AFCON and before. It is good to get some debuts, and for the manager, it is amazing to test new players," Bassey said.

This result kept Chelle’s unbeaten run in regular matches at 23 games. The Super Eagles will now focus on their next friendly against Portugal in Leiria on June 10.