Panathinaikos forward Cyriel Dessers has opened up on why he was included in Nigeria’s 28-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, describing the invitation as the fulfilment of a long-held dream.

 Dessers is among the attacking options selected by head coach Eric Chelle for the biennial tournament, which kicked off on Sunday. 

Speaking in an interview with Cali Sport, the striker expressed pride and gratitude over the call-up, noting the fierce competition for places in Nigeria’s frontline.

“It's been a dream for many years to go to a big tournament with the Super Eagles,” he said.

“As you said, there have been a lot of quality strikers in the past years and even now, so many Nigerian strikers are doing well all over Europe and Africa, so I take pride in being here.”

The former Rangers and Feyenoord striker said his consistent performances in Europe over the last few seasons were key to earning him a spot in the squad despite the wealth of attacking talent available to the national team.

“So I think it is based on the consistency I showed in the last years. Yeah, it is a proud moment for me and my family,” Dessers added.

Dessers finished last season as the Scottish Premiership’s top scorer with 18 goals in 35 appearances, a feat that earned him a summer move to Greek giants Panathinaikos.

He made an impressive start to life in Greece, scoring on his first league start against Olympiacos before an injury halted his momentum.

As the Super Eagles prepare to face Tanzania in their AFCON 2025 opener on Tuesday, Dessers will be hoping to regain his sharpness and play a key role in securing a winning start for Nigeria.

Adeyemi Adewale