Fulham defender Calvin Bassey has joined the list of Nigerians with 100 Premier League appearances, reaching the landmark in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Ipswich Town, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Bassey played the full 90 minutes at Portman Road, his sixth league appearance of the season. He is the 28th player to make 100 league appearances for Fulham and the second Nigerian to do so for the club, after his Super Eagles teammate Alex Iwobi, who has 103.

The 26-year-old has scored three goals and provided one assist in those 100 games, over 8,411 minutes. Including cup competitions, he has played 108 times for Fulham, with four goals.

Bassey came through the Leicester City academy before playing 65 games for Rangers and 39 for Ajax. He joined Fulham from Ajax in July 2023.

According to Transfermarkt, 16 Nigerian players had passed the mark before him. Iwobi leads with 320 appearances, ahead of Shola Ameobi (299), Nwankwo Kanu (272), Yakubu Aiyegbeni (252) and John Obi Mikel (249). Joseph Yobo (228), Wilfred Ndidi and Victor Moses (220 each), Kelechi Iheanacho (196), Jay-Jay Okocha (124) and Ola Aina (109) are also on the list.

Fulham looked set for their first league win of the season when Ryan Sessegnon scored in the 55th minute, but Ipswich hit back through Abdoul Ouattara in the 88th minute and captain Dara O’Shea in the 92nd. Iwobi, who started his sixth league game of the season, had been replaced by Emile Smith Rowe in the 87th minute.

The defeat leaves Fulham in the relegation zone with two points from six games, and it increases the pressure on head coach Álvaro Arbeloa as he searches for his first win in charge.