Super Eagles forgotten star Cyriel Dessers could bring on his Feyenoord superb Super Sub showing to fire Nigeria to glory at the AFCON in Cameroon, assures IKENWA NNABUOGOR…
The ghosts of Super Eagles star striker Victor Osimhen who may not be available at the 2021 African Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon may well be exorcised when hostilities begin January 22, 2022, with retinue of strikers in the tanks waiting to continue the fire power where the injured Napoli star left off.
One of such strikers is Feyenoord striker Cyriel Dessers whose unfinished business with the Super Eagles may well not be consigned to the history books owing to his killer Super Sub role for his Dutch side this season.
The former Heracles Almelo striker had been pursued by embattled Eagles handler Gernot Rohr as he consistently hit the target for his Dutch side before his switch to home town club KRC Genk, but he failed to provide the much expected spark and the international wilderness was not where he wished for himself thereafter.
A wicked combination of poor form and superb scoring form of compatriot Paul Onuachu conspired to make him look like an upstart at Belgian KRC Genk and ultimately dimmed whatever remained of his Eagles lights.
But the lights seem to return to shine on the erstwhile Dutch Eredievise goaledor as his goals have continued to make bold comeback statements and fire the Rotterdam side up the ladder.
Interestingly, Dessers’ style is unique on his return to “home” Holland, having emerged top scorer for Heracles Almelo few seasons ago – as he fancies leaving it late before killing off his opponents in superb regular fashion.
His consistency in keeping up his Super Sub role for Feyenoord could make the renowned ex-Liverpool’s Israeli striker Ronnie Rosenthal green with envy and most importantly grabbing the winning goals.
His winning goals have one unique mark – hitting them in the added minutes and he has put four of his seven late minute efforts in the 92nd minutes after coming on as a substitute.
His 92nd minute late hurray began with putting the icing on the cake for Feyenoord as they hit four past PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredievise’s exciting top-of-the- drawer clash on September 19.
The Eagles could be the biggest winners of Dessers’ unique style when the drums roll out in Cameroon as the three-time African Champions go for broke to shade the record third best in the continent.
With Osimhen most likely to be unavailable, returnee Odion Ighalo will expectedly get his top marksman’s role back, while Onuachu and Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho will step up the supporting roles depending on the formation either Rohr or the new coach will employ.
Dessers’ magic could well be relied upon if he makes the cut to Cameroon, in the last 15 minutes to bring “Feyenoord” to Cameroon to break hearts.
Consistently grabbing late winners is no mean effort and should he continue this for the rest of the season for the Rotterdam club, Dessers may well have entered the Guinness Book of Records and who says he will not do same for the Eagles in Cameroon?
He’s out to prove a point – that he isn’t a spent force as Genk coach John van der Brom and Eagles handler Rohr may want to believe and another chance in Cameroon may well be golden for the former NAC Breda striker.
Dessers has proved he’s got the ability to come on to finish off jobs and the last minutes may well be his for clinical finishing or further punishing of opponents after Ighalo and Onuachu or Iheanacho may have begun a good job.
At 26, Dessers should be enjoying his best part of his career that has revolved around Belgium and Holland at club level and Cameroon may well provide the platform where he could attract better suitors outside of the former Benelux enclave.
Those Super Sub late minute goal-scoring moments may well be one of the first of their kind in Africa.
