AFCON 2023: Calvin Bassey Refuses to Take Blame for Nigeria’s Goalscoring Issues

• The goals are not coming for Nigeria at the 2023 AFCON
• The Super Eagles have scored just three goals so far
• Defender Calvin Bassey says goalscoring is not his problem

Nigeria comfortably qualified for the last 16 in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, but their performances were less impressive.

They scored just three goals, and defender Calvin Bassey says that is not his problem to address but for strikers and midfielders.

Nigeria's first goal in the tournament was scored by Victor Osimhen against Equatorial Guinea, per CAF. It is their only opening goal in the tournament so far.

Their second goal came in their second Group A game against hosts Ivory Coast. Defender William Troost-Ekong scored a second-half penalty which was enough to hand the three-time champions a narrow victory.

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The Super Eagles created plenty of chances in their final group game against Guinea-Bissau but won courtesy of an own goal from Opa Sangante late in the first half.

Jose Peseiro's side will need to be clinical in the knockout stage when they face superior opposition.

Calvin Bassey on Nigeria's attack

Nigeria face arch-rivals Cameroon in the Round of 16 on Saturday, January 27. Osimhen will be needed to provide the goals and add to his tally.

Although Nigeria's fearsome attack has failed to light up AFCON, their defence has stood tall. Bassey and company have produced superb performances all tournament and have conceded just once.

The problems in attack do not concern Bassey.

“Go and ask the midfielders and attackers because, me, I am defending. I try my own,” via FAJ Sports.

The Fulham defender later added that they are working to rectify the problem.

“Of course, we are working on it. You seem to have all the answers, I think we’ve done well defensively.”

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Nigeria lost strikers Umar Sadiq and Victor Boniface to injury before the tournament started.

Peseiro on Nigeria's scoring problems

Sports Brief earlier reported on Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro expressing his frustrations on his team's misfiring attack.

"We will have to be more clinical in front of goal because the slightest mistake will be fatal for us."

Osimhen has missed Nigeria's biggest chances in the tournament. The Napoli superstar had golden opportunities to score in every match, but he fluffed his lines.