Calvin Bassey Urges Super Eagles to Tighten Defence Ahead of AFCON 2025 Knockout Stage

Nigeria defender Calvin Bassey has admitted that Nigeria must do more defensively as they prepare for the knockout phase of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Despite being one of the most prolific attacking sides in the group stage, the Super Eagles conceded in all three of their matches, scoring eight goals but letting in four under head coach Eric Chelle. The lack of clean sheets has raised concerns among fans ahead of the Round of 16.

Speaking at the team’s final training session on Monday before Nigeria’s clash with Mozambique, Bassey acknowledged the issue and stressed the team’s determination to improve.

“We always want to keep a clean sheet of course, it’s something me and Semi (Ajayi) talk about us being the central defenders,” Bassey told journalists.

“I think if you look at most of the games it’s just little details, and we are making sure that going into the next stage we don’t concede such types of goals.

“It’s a collective effort, we can do more about it, we can improve on it and hopefully we get it right.”

Nigeria head into the encounter with Mozambique as favourites, having recorded four wins and one draw in five previous meetings against the Mambas. However, Bassey warned against complacency, pointing to recent surprises in the tournament.

“Never underestimate any team, you can’t underestimate any team,” he said.
“Look at yesterday’s game — Tunisia had 11 men, Mali had 10 men and they beat them, they took it all the way to penalties.

“On paper we have all the big names, but for us it’s focusing on ourselves, making sure we do everything right and executing the game plan. That’s the most important thing.”

The Super Eagles will be hoping for a more solid defensive display as they aim to continue their quest for a fourth AFCON title.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

See Full Bio