Ahead of their Round of 16 encounter with Mozambique on Monday at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Super Eagles centre-back Calvin Bassey has highlighted the team’s determination to tighten their defence as they aim to advance in the tournament.

Nigeria topped Group C with three wins from as many games, but concerns lingered over their defence, which conceded four goals during the group stage.

The Super Eagles were held by Tanzania in their opening match before Ademola Lookman’s late strike secured victory. In their second game, Tunisia mounted a comeback after falling three goals behind, ultimately losing 3–2, while Uganda scored a consolation goal in Nigeria’s 3–1 win in the final group match.

Bassey, one of the team’s most consistent performers over the past year, stressed the importance of keeping clean sheets.
“We always want to keep clean sheets. It’s something Semi and I focus on as central defenders, and often it’s just the little details that make the difference,” Bassey said during Sunday’s training session.
“We are ensuring that as we move into the knockout stages, we avoid conceding those types of goals. Defence is a collective effort. Just as attacks start from the front, defence also starts with the forwards. They’ve been doing well, but we can always do more. It’s about attention to detail.”

The Fulham defender also cautioned against underestimating Mozambique, who qualified for the Round of 16 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
“We can’t underestimate any team. On paper, we have the big names, but our focus is on ourselves and executing the game perfectly,” he added.

Mozambique will be appearing in the AFCON Round of 16 for the first time in their history. Monday’s clash will mark only the second meeting between Nigeria and Mozambique at the AFCON, with Nigeria having defeated them 3–0 in their 2010 encounter thanks to a brace from Peter Odemwingie and a goal from Obafemi Martins.

Overall, both sides have faced each other five times across all competitions, with Nigeria unbeaten, recording four wins and one draw.