Gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey has questioned what he described as the mentality of African football teams following Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final. In a post shared on his X account, Bassey said his remarks were not intended to take anything away……
Gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey has questioned what he described as the mentality of African football teams following Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final.
In a post shared on his X account, Bassey said his remarks were not intended to take anything away from Argentina’s performance, stressing that he is an admirer of Lionel Messi.
However, he expressed concern over what he described as a recurring trend of African teams failing to protect winning positions in major international competitions.
According to the gospel singer, the pattern raises questions about the mentality and game management of African sides when they take the lead against top opponents.
“Taking nothing away from Argentina, and of course also being a Messi Stan, I’d still like to ask, what is it about African teams and not being able to finish well even after a strong start? And more so when almost crossing the finish line?” he wrote.
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Bassey wondered whether the trend was a result of the strength or experience of their opponents.
“Is it that the other teams are just superior? Or more experienced?” he asked.
He said he believed the issue was largely psychological.
“Personally, I think it’s a mentality issue. There’s just something about the way they think, especially toward the end of these games, that switches them off,” he added.
Argentina recovered from an early deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 to seal thier spot in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.