'I Can Already Sing The National Anthem' - Belgian-Born Striker Dessers Reveals Ahead Of Potential Cap-tying Game

Published: March 07, 2020

Heracles Almelo striker Cyriel Dessers has boasted that he can recite the Nigerian national anthem correctly ahead of a potential debut against Sierra Leone on March 27, a game that could see him become cap-tied to the Super Eagles for life.

It has been noted that the foreign-born players in the Super Eagles ranks such as Leon Balogun, Joe Aribo and Ola Aina, and even the Nigerian-born Alex Iwobi who was raised in England, find it difficult singing the Nigerian national anthem during pre-match formalities.

Born in Belgium twenty-five years ago, Dessers admitted that he has hardly visited Nigeria, so he must have learnt the lyrics to the national anthem from his Nigerian mother.

Reacting to his maiden call-up to the Nigeria squad, Dessers told Tubantia : "It is very special for us. We have always followed the Nigerian team, I can already sing the national anthem.

"We used to want to go that way, but there was negative travel advice. Now I am still going, but then in the protected world of football.

"My distant dream and ambition was to play for Nigeria one day, but that was not considered real".

Dessers is battling Lille's Victor Osimhen and Leicester City's Kelechi Iheanacho for a starting spot against Sierra Leone.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel