Advantage Nigeria : Martinez Hands Maiden Call-ups To Two Belgian-Based Strikers, Snubs Dessers

Nigeria Football Federation have the advantage to secure the services of Cyriel Dessers, with the Racing Genk frontman omitted from the latest Belgium squad list for their UEFA Nations League matches against Denmark and Iceland, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

Dessers stated last week that he would like to become an international without revealing his preferred national team.

The 25-year-old qualifies to represent the top ranked FIFA nation through his father and the Super Eagles through his mother, and it's Nigeria that have taken the most concrete step to cap-tie him by inviting him for two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone in March 2020, only for the games to be postponed by Confederation of African Football as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Manager Roberto Martinez has selected a 29-man squad for the upcoming international fixtures and eight players classed as strikers are part of the group.

Eden Hazard,  Dries Mertens, Romelu Lukaku, Divock Origi, Yari Verschaeren, Leandro Trossard, Landry Dimata and Jeremy Doku are the strikers included on the roster with the latter two, who represent R.S.C. Anderlecht, earning their maiden call-ups to Belgium's senior national team.

Joint top scorer in the Netherlands last term with Heracles Almelo, Dessers has not scored from open play after 252 minutes of football for Genk in the new season.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel