Fulham defender Calvin Bassey could not hide his frustration after the Super Eagles twice surrendered the lead to draw 2-2 against Poland.
The Super Eagles failed to close out both halves, allowing the hosts to fight back in critical moments. Terem Moffi initially put Nigeria ahead, only for Kacper Potulski to restore parity just before the halftime whistle.
The drama repeated itself in the second half: Paul Onuachu restored the Super Eagles’ advantage, but a stoppage-time equalizer from Przemysław Wiśniewski rescued a draw for Poland.
Bassey calls for Super Eagles to improve after Poland draw
Speaking in the post-match mixed zone, Bassey lamented the team’s defensive lapses.
“We should have got the win. Conceding two late goals in both halves shows there are things we must adjust,” Bassey said.
“A lot of us had different arrival times, and a few only joined the camp yesterday, so it was good to just get some minutes in the legs.”
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Despite the defensive heartbreak, the Fulham center-back found reasons to be optimistic, noting that the squad is undergoing a transitional phase.
“There are positives to take out of it. Like any game, there are things to work on, and we are trying to build and improve game by game,” he explained.
With several regular starters absent following the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), manager Éric Chelle utilized the friendly to blood new talent, a move Bassey highly commended.
“Overall, it was a good performance. There were a lot of changes, and a lot of boys who were at AFCON aren’t here,” Bassey noted.
“It’s great to see some debuts, and for the manager, it’s amazing to test new players. It just shows the depth and abundance of talent we have in this Nigerian squad.”