Former Cameroon defender Sébastien Bassong charged over £7 London Underground fare

Former Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Norwich City defender Sébastien Bassong has reportedly been charged with fare evasion in London following an unusual incident on the Underground.

The 40-year-old former Cameroon international is accused of attempting to avoid paying a £7 fare on the London Underground after allegedly pretending to tap a travel card on a ticket barrier before following another passenger through the gates.

According to reports, the incident attracted the attention of a Transport for London inspector, who stopped Bassong and asked him to provide identification after becoming suspicious of his actions.

A subsequent check reportedly showed that the travel card Bassong was using was registered in another person’s name and had not been used since October 2025.

Bassong, who has since moved into television punditry, denies the charge and has reportedly offered an explanation for how he came to be using the card.

The former defender said he had taken the travel card from a companion and claimed it belonged to a friend’s former girlfriend. He reportedly maintained that he was unaware the card was invalid when he attempted to use it.

The case has attracted attention because of Bassong’s profile as a former Premier League player who enjoyed a lengthy career in English football.

Bassong began his Premier League career with Newcastle United before moving to Tottenham, where he made a number of appearances for the North London club. He later joined Norwich City and continued his career in England before eventually moving into broadcasting.

Across his Premier League career, Bassong made 177 appearances, scoring six goals and providing two assists.

At international level, he represented Cameroon 15 times and was part of the Indomitable Lions squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The former centre-back is now awaiting the outcome of the fare-evasion case while continuing his work as a television football pundit.