The father of Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has made an emotional appeal.
Kingsley Ughelumba has again asked for reconciliation with his son and other children.
The plea comes nearly 18 years after the family became separated.
The fresh appeal has stirred strong reactions across football and social circles. Moreover, the timing has added to the public interest.
Ughelumba said he has been “dying in silence” for years. He explained that his hope is simply to reconnect as a father. Therefore, he decided to speak out once more.
Ughelumba, from Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State, shared details of the family history.
He said his first three sons, Elvis, Mathew, and Calvin, were born in Italy. The youngest, Michael, was born in Ireland.
According to him, the family lived together briefly in London. However, marital problems later caused a sudden separation.
He recalled, “We had husband-and-wife arguments. I went to work, and before I returned, she had left with the children.”
Contact was later reestablished in 2017 under unusual circumstances. Ughelumba said it happened when Nigerian passports were needed.
He stated, “She only reached out in 2017 when my children needed Nigerian passports.”
He added that he supported the process fully.
Despite this, communication soon broke down again.
Ughelumba said efforts to reunite have repeatedly
failed. He described a painful visit during the COVID period. “I have not seen my children for a long time,” he said.
He explained that he travelled from London to Leicester. At the time, Calvin Bassey was playing for Leicester City. “I wasn’t looking for him because he was a footballer,” he said.
According to him, the club helped arrange brief contact. He recalled calling his son by a childhood nickname, ‘Biggy’. However, the meeting ended badly after a phone call to his mother.
In addition, Ughelumba revealed another attempt during the 2023 AFCON. He travelled from Italy to Abidjan hoping to see his son.
A journalist reportedly helped him secure match tickets.
He said, “After that, I went to Abuja to try again, but I still didn’t see him.” Since then, he says the pain has only grown. “Even if I am a devil, I can’t be a devil where my children are,” he said.
Meanwhile, Calvin Bassey’s career has continued to rise. He joined Ajax in 2022 for €23m. A year later, he signed for Fulham for €22m.
The defender has earned 43 caps for Nigeria.
He has featured in two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
However, Bassey has publicly credited his mother for his journey. He once said, “Since I was six, it has been mum and us boys.”
