Nigeria’s Calvin Bassey has expressed optimism that the Super Eagles can carry their strong form into the knockout stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
After a 3-1 victory over Uganda in their final group match on Tuesday, Nigeria finished the group stage with nine points from three games. Eric Chelle’s side will now face Mozambique in the round of 16 as they pursue the AFCON title.
Speaking to Sporty TV after the match, Bassey said, “Same energy. We’ve shown our quality in this group stage, and hopefully we can just keep building on this momentum.”
The defender highlighted that the team approached the final group game with full commitment, even though their progression to the knockout stage was already secured.
“This game was very important for us. Some might have thought, ‘yeah, we’re already through,’” he explained. “But we saw it as an opportunity to make a statement and show that, no matter who we face, we’ll give 100 per cent.”
Bassey is determined to help the Eagles strengthen their defence in the knockout rounds. Nigeria scored eight goals across their three group games—their most prolific opening AFCON campaign in recent years—with five different players on the scoresheet. However, the Super Eagles conceded four goals and failed to keep a clean sheet in any Group C fixture.
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