Good News Or Osimhen’s Rival? Super Eagles Coach Explains Cyriel Dessers Role In Team

Super Eagles assistant coach, Alloysius Agu, has allayed any fear that the inclusion of Cyriel Dessers in the Nigerian squad would disrupt the balance of the team.

The Heracles Almelo striker is in top form and has been handed a first-time invitation to join the Nigerian national football team.

Lille forward Victor Osimhen has been Gernot Rohr's substantive Number 9 since Manchester United’s Odion Ighalo put an end to his international career after the 2019 AFCON tournament.

Osimhen, 20, has significantly impressed as the Super Eagles top striker, scoring four goals in his last four games for the team.

Still, head coach Rohr has extended invitations to the duo of Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Dessers to boost his attacking options.

Dessers, though, is seen as the more likely of the two to earn significant playing minutes when Nigeria trade tackles with Sierra Leone in an AFCON qualifying doubleheader set for later this month.

The Belgian-Nigerian comes highly rated as he is the Eredivisie’s most prolific marksman, scoring 15 goals this term, including the winner against champions Ajax two weeks ago.

But former Eagles goalkeeper Agu insists the coaching crew is delighted to have Dessers and that his presence in camp is not to threaten Osimhen's position but to boost the team.

“His (Dessers) inclusion is good news to the team; he is not coming to become a rival with anybody but to make our team stronger,” the 1992 AFCON bronze medalist was quoted by the New Telegraph NG.

“He’s a good striker; he has been doing well for his club, and he has also shown strong interest in playing for Nigeria, which is good for us.

“Osimhen has also done very well for the team and having someone like Dessers to join the attack will make all other strikers better.

“The good thing is that everybody will continue to fight for shirts in the team, and the technical crew is happy that we have several options in different positions,” he said.