Cyril Dessers is expected to be called up by NFF as a replacement for Odion Ighalo after Al-Shabab refused to release the striker for AFCON
By Kehinde Okeowo
Feyenoord FC striker Cyril Dessers has emerged as the likely replacement for Odion Ighalo in Nigerias’ 28-man squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Report reaching TheNiche Newspaper indicates that The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) made the move to draft the Feyenoord FC striker to the team after Saudi Arabian club, Al-Shabab’s stopped Ighalo from representing Nigeria at AFCON.
Al-Shabab activated the clause in the 32-year-old’s contract, which prevents him from honouring certain National team tournaments, which has now been extended to include the 2021 AFCON.
The development made Super Eagles gaffer, Austin Eguavoen issue the Saudi Arabian club a 5 pm Tuesday, January 4, 2022, ultimatum, which expired yesterday, Wednesday, January 5, 2022.
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After the expiration of the ultimatum, NFF confirmed the unavailability of Ighalo for AFCON 2021 and it is now set to call up Cyril Dessers as his replacement.
Dessers who was born in Belgium is eligible to play for the Super Eagles because his mother, Sophie Bakry, is a citizen of Nigeria.
The 27-year-old striker has scored nine goals and made one assist for Feyenoord this season after joining the Dutch side on loan from Genk FC.
John Fashanu, a former England international of Nigerian descent, once told PUNCH that striker should be given another chance judging by his current form.
“I think Dessers deserves to be given a second chance because he is a quality player,
“He is a player that we badly need even if he didn’t do well the last time he was invited. But now he is getting used to the new system so I think he deserves another chance.
“I want to believe the change of environment and the African style of football could have affected his performance back then but he has the experience and playing in the Dutch league itself gives him an edge over everybody else. he said.
Ighalo has now joined others strikers such as Emmanuel Dennis who pulled out of rhe tournament due to his clubs’ refusal to release him and Super Eagle’s first-choice striker Victor Osimhen, who was dropped after testing positive for Covid-19.