Gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey has questioned what he described as the mentality of African football teams following Argentina’s 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Bassey said his comments were not intended to diminish Argentina’s performance, adding that he is an admirer of Lionel Messi.

He, however, expressed concern over what he described as a recurring inability of African teams to hold on to winning positions.

“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.

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.