Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers remains undeterred despite being overlooked for the Super Eagles’ upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 30-year-old forward, who has contributed 10 goals and three assists in his last 13 games for the Scottish giants, was surprisingly left out of coach Eric Chelle’s final 23-man squad announced on Tuesday.
Despite being Nigeria’s second-highest goalscorer in Europe this season with an impressive tally of 22 goals and six assists across all competitions, Dessers missed out as the Franco-Malian tactician preferred Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, Sadiq Umar and Tolu Arokodare in his attacking options.
“It’s important to stay level, don’t go down in the bad period, don’t let it get into your head in the good periods,” Dessers told Sky Sports Scotland ahead of Rangers’ UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg against Fenerbahce at the Ibrox Stadium on Thursday (today).
“But at this point, I feel good, I feel confident, obviously I’ve scored a few goals in the last games, but I want more,” the striker added.
Dessers’ omission has raised eyebrows among Nigerian football enthusiasts, especially considering his current purple patch for the Glasgow club. Only Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has better numbers among Nigerian forwards in European leagues this season, with 23 goals and five assists.
The selection of Umar ahead of Dessers has particularly puzzled fans. The Real Sociedad loanee, who joined Valencia in January, has managed five goals in 10 appearances for the Spanish side, and while impressive for a new signing, is still significantly fewer than Dessers’ goal-scoring exploits in Scotland.
While newcomer Arokodare’s inclusion can be justified by his chart-topping 16 goals in Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League, many believe Dessers’ current form warranted a place in the squad for the crucial qualifiers.
“It’s good to be on 22 at this stage of the season, that’s a very good feeling, but I want more. Hopefully, I can help the team with more goals,” Dessers remarked.
Rangers carry a 3-1 advantage into the second leg against Turkish giants Fenerbahce, with Dessers having scored and provided an assist in the first leg. He will be looking to make a similar impact as the Scottish side aim to secure passage to the quarter-finals.
Nigeria currently sit fifth in Group C of the World Cup qualifiers and desperately need victories against Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, March 21, and Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo four days later to revive their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 tournament.
For Chelle, who made several surprising omissions including in-form Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche, the upcoming fixtures represent a significant test. The coach’s selections will need to be vindicated by positive results if he is to maintain the confidence of Nigerian supporters.
As for Dessers, he remains focused on his club commitments while knowing that continued impressive performances will make him increasingly difficult to ignore for future national team considerations.
