Kingsley Ughelumba, Calvin Bassey’s father, is speaking out about the painful estrangement from his children, including the Super Eagles defender, whom he hasn’t seen in over 18 years. Ughelumba attributes the separation to a rift between him and their mother, Ebere Bassey .

He’s made several attempts to reconnect with his children, including traveling to Leicester City when Calvin was playing there and attending Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations match in Abidjan. Despite these efforts, he’s been met with resistance, and his children have adopted their mother’s surname .

Ughelumba is now making a public appeal, saying he’s “dying in silence” and hopes for reconciliation. “I don’t have any problems with my children – it’s just their mum that made me feel bad. Even if I am a devil, I can’t be a devil where my children are,” he said .

Calvin Bassey, who plays for Fulham, hasn’t responded to his father’s claims. He’s established himself as a dependable defender for Nigeria, earning 43 caps and playing in the last two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments