Heracles striker Cyriel Dessers, the Dutch league’s leading scorer, says he is playing the best football of his career and hopes his form could earn a first Nigeria cap.
The 24-year-old, who was born in Leuven to a Belgian father and qualifies for Nigeria through his mother, committed his international allegiance to the West African nation in December.
Dessers, who has started every game and has 14 goals and five assists this season, hopes his form may catch the attention of Nigeria boss Gernot Rohr.
There’s been communication but I’ve got to keep playing as well as I can for Heracles, and hopefully that will happen soon,” he told BBC Sport.
“I know it’s a strong ambition of mine, but sometimes you need to stay focused and not get distracted as a professional footballer.”
Three-time champions Nigeria host bottom side, Sierra Leone, in back-to-back 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games in March, with the reverse fixture scheduled for the Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown.
The Super Eagles have maximum points from two matches – after wins over Benin at home and Lesotho away – to stay top of Group L.
Dessers said being selected by Nigeria would be “amazing” and he would be honoured to have the chance of playing for the Super Eagles in the race for the continental showpiece event.
“Everyone in the family is hoping – and to be involved with Nigeria would be incredibly amazing for my career, but I’ve got to keep proving myself first,” he added.
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“To get a chance to stand at the door is a step forward. You start every day hoping for success at club level. If you keep working hard, hopefully you make some life goals come true.”
Regarded as a strong centre-forward and standing at a little over 6 feet tall, Dessers started his career at local Belgian side OH Leuven but only made a solitary senior appearance against Mons in March 2014.
He then joined local rivals Lokeren at the start of the 2014/15 season, where he enjoyed regular football and scored seven goals in 40 appearances across two seasons.
Dessers crossed the border to the Netherlands and joined second-tier side NAC Breda in the summer of 2016, helping the team to immediate promotion with 29 goals in 40 matches.
A spell at FC Utrecht led the towering player to Heracles this summer and his 17 goals in 26 appearances have brought praise from the fans and media back in Belgium.
11 Comments
You will surely get your chance, but it’s for you to grab it maybe the issue. #iwishyouwell
Can Rohr Deliver?
Should Dessers get a call up to the Super Eagles, it is all but certain that he will be a substitute player.
The Belgian-born bomber, who can play as a centre forward, left winger and support striker,is expected to find it difficult to displace established players.
For one, he can’t displace Osihmen in the centre forward role. With the sort of form that Moses Simon is exhibiting, he should forget dislodging the France based winger on the left.
Should Rohr elect to go for 2 forwards, all of a sudden, vacancy will exist for a Support Striker position.
But, this position is already taken by hot Iheanacho or an enigmatic Iwobi with Rohr surprising everyone by even choosing Onuachu ahead of Dessers for this role.
So,what is left? An impact sub.
The Super Eagles team is now having so many quality options that Rohr can no longer afford making very late substitutions.
If a player like Dessers can come in from about 60 minutes to replace Moses Simon (for example), he would still have enough time to make a meaningful impact.
To be clear, Dessers has a lot to offer, it is up to Rohr to determine how the deadly striker will deliver.
Welcome back my man @deo
Dessers can displace anyone in that attack
Thank you sir for the feedback. We all wait eagerly to see how things pan out.
One thing that is undeniable is that we now have a squad worthy of being on the same pitch with any other team on the planet.
If properly harnessed, these group of players will do wonders.
It is no coincidence that we have continued to rise in Fifa rankings.
The future is bright.
I hope this guy receives the needed call up to SE ditto makes his debut in earnest to actualize his dream, there should be no stymie to his ambition. SE need competition in attack to wade off complacency and unnecessary ego. Where some foreign born players are taking Nigeria for granted Dessers shows total commitment to Nigeria. May God help him to achieve his unflinching ambition. God bless Nigeria
Cyriel Dessers goal today against Ajax
https://youtu.be/t2350uAXUic
What a goal,typical striker goal.Thanks for the video Bentopsy.
Cyriel Kolawole Dessers! What a goal! Your time is now. Keep at it and I am sure you would give Osimhen some competition.
The best is good enough Nigeria and Dessers is good enough.
@Tongo,
Another point that just came to my mind is that the other strikers we have are already adept at meetings the at times gruelling demands of international football.
Club form does not always translate to national team success: sometimes, a player might be underwhelming in club football only to come alive in national colours whilst others will score bucket load of goals for their clubs only to fail to find the net to save their lives in the national team.
Dessers is a scorer of goals hence their is nothing at this point to suggest that he would struggle for the Super Eagles (if invited).
But, there are specific dynamics and challenges relating to international football which would determine whether any player can bring their club form to play to satisfy the yearnings (and at times bitter criticisms) of a demanding national fan base.
If Dessers adapts and is able to apply himself to the rigours of international football, then, that is yet another player that we can call on against the really top quality oppositions in the global stage.
The guy – going by his goal scoring exploits and hunger to play for Nigeria – is a quality addition to the Super Eagles team.
It will not be easy for Dessers to break into the squad now o. But I really wish he is called up. With other forwards like Osimhen, Kelechi and Dennis performing currently in their clubs and are already in the S.E setup. it will not be guranteed for him to get a callup at this time.
And like we know Rohr, he dosen’t usually try out new players for competitive matches except he has friendly matches. In any case I know he will get his time sooner or later, the only thing is for him to take his chance whenever it comes because the competition is really fierce espercially for forwards in the SE now.