Philippe Clement, head coach of Rangers, has emphasized the need for striker Cyriel Kolawole Dessers to put in extra effort to regain his spot in the Super Eagles. Dessers was notably absent from Austine Eguavoen’s squad for the upcoming 2025 AFCON doubleheader against Libya, scheduled for Uyo and Tripoli.
Clement’s decision to substitute Dessers after an hour during the recent 2-0 Premiership win over St. Johnstone sparked frustration for the striker, who was keen to continue contributing on the pitch. Despite this, Clement believes Dessers has the potential to reclaim his place in the national team with hard work.
“He needs to work hard, and it will come,” Clement stated. “He has played a lot of club minutes in recent weeks, and it’s natural to feel less fresh when competing every three days. This is a common situation for many strikers globally. In fact, many teams substitute strikers after 60 minutes routinely.”
Clement encouraged Dessers to maintain the strong mindset he exhibited at the beginning of the season, where he enjoyed a productive goal-scoring run. With continued dedication and hard work, Clement is confident that Dessers can find the back of the net more frequently and earn a recall to the Super Eagles.
