Super Eagles forward Cyriel Dessers has fired back at Nigeria’s national team selectors after being left out of the squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Dessers, who has been in exceptional form with Rangers, was notably absent from head coach Augustine Eguavoen’s 23-man roster for Nigeria’s final qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda.

Despite his impressive stats — eight goals and three assists in 18 appearances this season — Dessers was overlooked in favor of Kelechi Iheanacho and Umar Sadiq, both of whom have struggled for consistency in their respective clubs this season. While Iheanacho and Sadiq have scored just two goals between them, Dessers has continued to shine for Rangers.

In a swift response, Dessers took to the pitch, scoring his ninth goal of the season in Rangers’ 1-1 Europa League draw against Olympiacos. His brilliant equalizer came just eight minutes after Olympiacos took the lead, as Dessers showcased excellent dribbling before firing past the Olympiacos goalkeeper.

Though Dessers’ omission from the national squad is disappointing for many fans, Nigeria will still have a strong attacking lineup led by in-form Victor Osimhen, who scored twice in Galatasaray’s thrilling 3-2 win over Tottenham. Eguavoen will also have Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, both key contributors to their clubs’ success this season.

Dessers’ powerful response on the field sends a clear message: he remains one of Nigeria’s most dangerous attackers, despite being overlooked by the national team selectors.