It has been a fantastic AFCON 2023 for Fulham defender Calvin Bassey, but the former Ajax defender’s heritage has remained a mystery until now.
We bring you the scoop on Calvin Bassey, the Super Eagles defender plying his trade in England and why his name portrays two different identities from Nigeria.
The full name of the Fulham defender is Calvin Chinedu Bassey, but his birth name is Calvin Chinedu Ughelumba, and he was born in Aosta, Italy.
Calvin Bassey is from Ihiala, Anambra State, which is where his father hails from, but he has suffered the absence of his father in his career, and Mr Ughelumba, in 2020, sent an SOS to the public to help reunite him with his son.
The SOS persists till today, as there is a non-existent relationship between father and son.
Calvin Bassey – Separation of Father and Son
Do you know why Calvin Bassey does not share a last name with his father, Kingsley Ikenna Ughelumba? Well, tag along as we give you the scoop.
In an interview granted to Glasgow Rangers media outlet in 2020 when Calvin Bassey signed for the Scottish club, Kingsley spoke about the relationship between his wife and sons.
According to Kingsley, he had a rift with his wife, and to hit him where it hurt, she denied him access to his four sons.
Kingsley claims he took the matter to court, but she continued barring him from seeing his children.
I randomly hugged him yesterday after the final whistle as he was the closest to me and he said: “That’s my son, my son is number 21, Calvin Bassey….”
Any resemblance? https://t.co/PRCVYDn1tK pic.twitter.com/gbiZJ4W7Zn
— ERIN LÁKÁTABÚ OF IWOLAND (@Ogbeni__Skrtel) February 3, 2024
The incident happened in 2008, and a judge advised him to resolve the issues as a family, but the wife persisted in not allowing him access to his children, which explains his absence in their lives.
Kingsley said the last time he saw Calvin Bassey was in 2016 when he visited him in Italy, and they took a picture together.
The influence of the mother in the life of Calvin Bassey
Kingsley did not narrate the cause of the rift between him and his wife, Mercy, with Calvin attributing his success to his mother.
According to Calvin Bassey, who bought a house for her after signing his first senior contract, he lost contact with his father when he was six and has not been in their lives since.
Kingsley narrated how Mercy poisoned the hearts of his children and caused them to harbour resentment towards him. He claimed the wife, after taking them away from him, changed their phone numbers so he couldn’t reach them.
In an act of desperation, in 2020, Kingsley travelled from Italy to England and went directly to the Leicester City training ground to visit his son.
At Leicester City, he introduced himself to the officials, presenting the necessary documents to prove his identity and relationship to Calvin Bassey.
After cross-examination for proof of how Calvin Bassey would be sure he was who he claimed to be. He asked them to use a nickname he used to call him when he was young.
Calvin Bassey versatility, physicality, and defensive prowess on the field is second to none!!
A CLASS! pic.twitter.com/S78VV2Ta3b
— Nnamdi (@__Nnamdi_) February 2, 2024
The Fulham defender acknowledged it was his father and was excited and asked Kingsley to visit him at home the following day.
However, Mercy once again proved to be his albatross, as she again poisoned his son’s mind, and he changed his mind on seeing his father.
Since that occasion, Calvin Bassey, who made his debut for the Super Eagles in 2022, has done everything to ensure he does not have to meet with his father.
However, Kingsley hopes to reconcile with his son someday, as he believes he has done nothing to warrant the treatment he is getting.
Before achieving senior status, Calvin Bassey was referred to by his father’s surname Ughelumba. The 24-year-old is a brother to English rapper Y.CB (real name Matthew), who makes music under the UK drill group 7th.
This article was most recently revised and updated 12 months ago