Fulham manager Marco Silva has urged his team to prepare for a challenging spell after Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, and Calvin Bassey were officially named in Nigeria’s 28-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Their inclusion means Fulham will be the only club contributing three players to the Super Eagles—a distinction that brings both pride and undeniable disruption. As the fixtures pile up, Silva must now navigate several crucial games without three of his most influential performers.
Iwobi has become one of Silva’s most trusted lieutenants, valued for his versatility and calm presence whether deployed in midfield or further forward. Bassey, meanwhile, has matured into a defensive mainstay, growing in composure and consistency with each passing match. Chukwueze, on loan from AC Milan, has recently found form at just the right time, registering two goals and two assists across his last four appearances after a difficult start.
Their absence arrives at an inconvenient moment, with Fulham entering one of the most demanding phases of the season. Speaking on Thursday, Silva acknowledged the scale of the challenge but stressed that the club had long anticipated the scenario.
“We knew this moment would come, and we won’t let it become a source of panic,” he said. “We’re losing three regular starters. Alex’s value is clear, Calvin’s contribution speaks for itself, and Chukwueze has been excellent recently. Now it’s about finding solutions—unless someone has invented a different way to deal with AFCON.”
All three players are expected to feature in Fulham’s Premier League clash with Burnley this weekend before heading to Egypt for Nigeria’s pre-tournament camp. Should the Super Eagles progress to the final, the trio could miss as many as seven club matches, including an EFL Cup encounter with Newcastle and league fixtures against Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Leeds on 17 January.
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will run from 21 December to 18 January in Morocco. Nigeria begin their Group C campaign against Tanzania on 23 December, followed by matches against Tunisia and Uganda. The Super Eagles—champions last in 2013—enter the tournament aiming to end a twelve-year quest for their fourth continental title.
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