“There will be competition” – Rangers boss puts Dessers’ position up for grabs following brilliant Igamane outing against Nice

Cyriel Dessers has largely, been Rangers first-choice striker since joining from Serie A side, Cremonese last summer.

Rangers head coach, Philippe Clement, has revealed the place of Super Eagles striker, Cyriel Kolawole Dessers is under threat, following his side’s 4-1 win over OGC Nice, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Gers took another positive step towards qualification for the next round of the Europa League with a brilliant display against Nice at the Allianz Arena, Riviera.

Vacláv Cerny and Mohammed Diomande scored Rangers’ first two goals, but it was Hamza Igamane that was the start of the night. The Moroccan forward scored a brace and set up another before he was taken off in the 69th minute, with Dessers coming on in his place.

The Nigerian forward had a golden chance to score his side’s fifth goal of the night, but he scuffed his opportunity from just six yards.

Cyriel Dessers in action against OGC Nice at the Allianz Arena, Riviera.

Speaking with TNT Sports after the game, Philippe Clement revealed Dessers will need to up his game with increased competition from Igamane.

“Yeah, for sure. There will be competition between them, and it’s about seeing who is in the best shape at one moment

“He (Igamane) came in with an injury, he missed all the preparation, he doesn’t have experience at this level. We’re working hard on him with all staff, physically to make him stronger. He made really big progression in that way, but also tactically doing the right things for the team.

That’s why I gave him the chance today, because I saw the good things the last couple of weeks, better and better in training, and like I said before the game, then it’s my job also to give these chances at this stage, to see what players can bring. He showed what I expected,” the Belgian gaffer said as revealed by The Scotsman.

Clement now has a selection headache on his hands for Sunday’s return to league action when Rangers travel to St Johnstone.

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

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