‘Never underestimate any team’ - Bassey warns Super Eagles that big-name players alone do not win games

The Super Eagles, who won all three of their group stage matches, will take on the Mambas at the Complexe de Fes. 

Eric Chelle’s team qualified for the round of 16 with a perfect record in Group C, securing nine points.

Mozambique advanced to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams after securing just one victory in their group.

With a quarter-final spot on the line, Bassey emphasised the unpredictable nature of the tournament, pointing to Mali's recent upset over Tunisia as a cautionary tale.

"Never underestimate any team. We can't underestimate any team," the 26-year-old stated in an interview with NFF Media. 

"Look at yesterday's game, Tunisia had 11 men, Mali had ten men, and they won. They took it all the way to penalties."

The Super Eagles defender stressed that individual talent alone is not enough to guarantee success.

"For us, we have all the big names on paper, but it's about focusing on ourselves and making sure we do everything right, executing the game plan we have," he added.

In other news, Bassey has also revealed that the team are working on their defensive structure to avoid conceding goals.