Give him a chance — Ex-Super Eagles star begs for Dessers to play more

Former Super Eagles forward John Utaka praised Cyriel Dessers' performance in the Unity Cup and said that the Rangers man should be afforded more opportunities with the national team. 

The 30-year-old striker first made his debut for the three-time AFCON champions in 2020 but has only managed eight appearances, scoring three goals. 

Two of those appearances came in the recent Unity Cup, in which he scored in the semi-final against Ghana and shone in the final against Jamaica with an assist. 

Speaking in a conversation with Brila FM, the 43-year-old, who registered 44 appearances with the national team, hailed the former Genk striker’s calmness in front of goal and argued for his increased involvement in the national team. 

“He’s a good finisher,” Utaka said. “I saw his goal against Ghana; he was very composed. He shows quality; to score that kind of goal requires maturity. I think it’s high time they gave him a chance.”

Meanwhile, Dessers has laid bare the emotional toll of competing for Nigeria’s number nine shirt, admitting Victor Osimhen’s dominance makes the fight for minutes a brutal one.

He revealed in a candid interview it hasn’t been that simple. “It hurts sometimes to miss out,” Dessers confessed, adding, “I’ve been in and around the squad for five years now, and I haven’t played an official game yet, only friendly games, so I must say that hurts.”

He pointed to the last two AFCON tournaments as particularly painful omissions, especially considering his form at the time.