Heracles Almelo Goal Poacher Gets Newly Issued Nigerian Passport Ahead Of Potential Cap-tying Game

Published: February 26, 2020

Heracles Almelo goal poacher Cyriel Dessers could become cap-tied to three-time African champions Nigeria next month.

According to Het Belang van Limburg, nothing stands in the way of Dessers playing for the West African giants after securing a Nigerian passport on Tuesday.

Born in Tongeren to a Belgian father and Nigerian mother twenty-five years ago, the striker qualifies to represent Nigeria if the granny rule is invoked by the Nigeria Football Federation.

He was an unused substitute when Belgium beat Moldova 2-1 in a European U21 Championship qualifier back in March 2015, a game that would have seen him become provisionally cap-tied to his country of birth if he had featured.

If Dessers earns a call-up to the Super Eagles for their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations double header against Sierra Leone and plays in any of the games even for one second, he would no longer be able to represent Belgium internationally.

The former KSC Lokeren and Oud-Heverlee Leuven starlet has been involved in an astonishing 24 goals (18 goals, 6 assists) in 27 appearances across all competitions this term.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel