Super Eagles and Rangers forward, Cyriel Kolawole Dessers, has revealed his hunger to work alongside Eric Chelle as he eyes a spot in the AFCON 2025 tournament, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 30-year-old is the second-highest Super Eagles goalscorer for the 2024/2025 season and recently just played his first game under Nigeria’s head coach, and impressed by finding the back of the net.
In an interview with Soccernet.ng, Dessers highlighted his plans for the Super Eagles as he enters into the latter stages of his career, his disappointment at not being called up, and his admiration for the work Eric Chelle did with the Malian team during the AFCON 2023 tournament.
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Quizzed about what he felt when Eric Chelle was appointed as the head coach of the Super Eagles team, Dessers admitted he was impressed with the work the Frenchman did at Mali, although the Rangers forward was sad he didn’t make Chelle’s team for the World Cup qualifiers in March despite having more goals than Sadiq Umar and Tolu Arokodare at the time.
“Positive, I saw what he [Chelle] did at Mali for example. He made the team play with a good strucuture, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do together.
“Obviously, to not be picked at that moment, you’re disappointed, but if you look at the other strikers that were called up, they’re also very good strikers.
“That’s the reality with the Super Eagles, but of course, as a player, your ambition is to be included every time and that’s what I’m working for, and when I get called up, I get to show that I have a spot in this team,” the Rangers striker said.
At 30, Dessers is yet to represent Nigeria at a major tournament, and revealed it’ll be a dream to participate in one, especially the upcoming 2025 AFCON tournament, and hopefully, the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Of course, first we have to qualify for the World Cup. We have some big games coming up for the next windows.
“I hope to be there, I hope I can help the team there and achieve our dream together, and of course, it would be a dream to go to the AFCON with Nigeria, that would be one of the last things to finish off my career, it would be really beautiful,” the former KRC Genk man concluded.
Dessers will be hoping to lead the line against the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica tomorrow in the final of the 2025 Unity Cup as Eric Chelle looks to lift silverware with the Super Eagles.