Fulham Boss Bemoans Chukwueze, Iwobi, Bassey’s Absence  for AFCON

Fulham manager, Marco Silva has acknowledged the difficult weeks ahead 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 call-ups mean Fulham are the only club contributing three players to the Super Eagles’ delegation; an honour on paper, but a heavy footballing burden for Silva.

All three have been integral to Fulham’s season so far. Iwobi has become Silva’s go-to tactical solution, filling roles from winger to deep-lying playmaker with ease.

Bassey, entrusted at the heart of defence, has built a reputation for consistency and composure.

Chukwueze arrived on loan from AC Milan with modest expectations and a slow start, but in recent weeks has burst into form with two goals and two assists in his last four games.

Their absence will hit Fulham during a particularly dense run of fixtures.

Speaking on Thursday, Silva made no attempt to hide the challenge ahead, though he stressed the club had prepared for this outcome.

“We knew it was going to happen. We will not panic about its impact,” Silva said.

“We are talking about three starting XI players. We know Alex is a key player in any position he plays. The importance of Calvin, and what Chukwueze has been doing in recent games cannot be overemphasised. You have to find solutions. If you know any other way to handle it (AFCON), let me know.”

Chukwueze, Iwobi and Bassey will feature in this weekend’s Premier League clash against Burnley before flying out to Egypt, where Nigeria will hold camp ahead of the competition in Morocco.

Should Nigeria replicate last year’s run to the final, the trio could miss as many as seven Fulham matches.

Among those likely absences are an EFL Cup meeting with Newcastle and key Premier League fixtures against Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Chelsea and Leeds on January 17.

AFCON 2025 runs from December 21 to January 18, with Nigeria opening against Tanzania on December 23 before facing Tunisia and Uganda in Group C.

Africa Cup of Nations Afcon 2023 match between Nigeria and Equitorial Guinea at Stade D Ebimpe on January 14, 2024 in Abidjan, Cote d Ivore. Photo by IMAGO

The Super Eagles, three-time African champions, last lifted the trophy in 2013 and enter the tournament in search of a long-awaited fourth title.

Chukwueze and Iwobi were part of the bronze-winning squad in 2019. Bassey joined them to win silver in Côte d’Ivoire last year.

Now, all three depart Craven Cottage again, leaving Fulham to navigate one of the toughest periods of their season without them.