Calvin Bassey’s father, Kingsley Ughelumba, makes emotional appeal to reunite with his children after 18 years of estrangement

Kingsley Ughelumba, father of Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey, has made another emotional appeal to reunite with his four children after more than 18 years apart, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

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Ughelumba, a native of Ihiala in Anambra State, recounted that disputes with his children’s mother, Ebere Bassey, led to their long-standing separation.

He expressed his anguish, saying he has been “dying in silence” while hoping for reconciliation.

The father of four said his first three sons—Elvis, Mathew, and Calvin—were born in Italy, while his youngest son, Michael, was born in Ireland.

The family lived together briefly in London before marital issues tore them apart.

“We had husband-and-wife arguments. I went to work, and before I returned, she had left with the children,” Ughelumba said during a viral social media interview.

He added that he attempted contact in 2017 to help with Nigerian passports, but his efforts have largely been blocked since.

Calvin Bassey, 26, rose to prominence with Rangers before joining Ajax in 2022 and Fulham in 2023.

Despite being listed under his father’s surname early in his career, he now uses his mother’s surname and credits her for his football journey.

“I knew that if I got the chance to put my name on the back of a shirt, I wanted it to be my mum’s name—my way of saying thank you,” Bassey once explained.

Ughelumba detailed multiple attempts to reconnect with his children, including travel to Leicester during COVID-19 and attending the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan, but these efforts did not succeed.

He emphasised, “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.”

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As of this report, Calvin Bassey has not responded publicly to his father’s claims.