Super Eagles and Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers has earned his reputation as a prolific goalscorer, yet he remains on the fringes of the Nigeria national team, Footynaija.com reports.
After a remarkable 2024/2025 season where he netted 29 goals in 55 appearances for Rangers, including 18 in the Scottish Premiership to finish as the league’s top scorer, it’s baffling that the 30-year-old is still waiting for his first competitive Super Eagles cap.
Dessers’ numbers speak volumes. Over the past two seasons, he has bagged an impressive tally of 51 goals, thoroughly outperforming the likes of Tolu Arokodare, Victor Boniface and Umar Sadiq.
Aside from Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s undisputed first-choice striker who recorded an astonishing 37 goals this season, none of the other strikers come close. Arokodare managed 21, Boniface 11 and Sadiq just 6.
Even more telling is Dessers’ efficiency. According to FotMob, he posted a 21.7% shot conversion rate, better than Osimhen’s 19.3%, making him Nigeria’s most clinical forward.
His composed finish against Ghana in the Unity Cup, where he expertly controlled Sodiq Ismaila’s cross before slotting home to open the scoring for Nigeria, further proved his quality.
That goal earned praise from former Nigerian forward John Utaka, who told Brila FM: “He’s a good finisher… very composed. To score that kind of goal requires maturity. I think it’s high time they gave him a chance.”
Ex-Nigeria International, John Utaka on Brila’s No Holds Barred speaks on Cyriel Dessers getting invited for competitive games in the national team.
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— Sports Radio Brila FM (@Brilafm889) June 4, 2025
This writer fully agrees. Dessers has shown that he’s not just scoring goals, but scoring them consistently and efficiently. While Osimhen has rightfully secured that starting shirt, the Super Eagles bosses should really consider the Rangers man as his deputy.
With Nigeria’s World Cup qualification hopes in shambles and the AFCON 2025 approaching fast, the time has come for the Super Eagles hierarchy to make bold, performance-based selections.
It’s high time Cyriel Dessers, Nigeria’s most deadly finisher, gets the chance to prove himself in games that truly matter.