Panathinaikos striker Cyriel Dessers has broken his silence after a thigh injury forced his premature departure from Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign in Morocco. The 31-year-old forward returned to his Greek club last week without making a single appearance for the Super Eagles at the tournament.
In an emotional social media post, Dessers described the situation as “extremely difficult to accept” and expressed disappointment at missing both the remainder of AFCON and an important period with Panathinaikos. The former Rangers striker wrote that he would be the team’s biggest fan during his recovery while pledging to undertake full rehabilitation.
Dessers sustained the injury during a training session ahead of Nigeria’s group stage match against Uganda. Medical evaluations confirmed the severity of the knock, projecting a recovery time between 10 and 12 weeks. Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle confirmed the diagnosis, stating that Dessers would be sidelined for maybe 10 to 12 weeks.
The Belgium-born striker had been hoping to play a significant role as Nigeria pushed for continental glory. He was unable to feature in any of the Super Eagles’ group stage matches against Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda. Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe confirmed in a statement that a thigh injury ruled Dessers out of the team and he returned to his club.
Chelle expressed disappointment for Dessers but stressed that the squad would adapt in his absence, with other attacking options stepping up as Nigeria maintains their push for AFCON glory. The coach told reporters that the team needed to play a great game and do the work in front of them without worrying about the setback.
Nigeria finished the group stage with a perfect nine points under Chelle, defeating Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda to top Group C in convincing fashion. A Super Eagles official described Dessers’ withdrawal as a significant setback but insisted the team remains fully focused on the task ahead.
Dessers had only recently returned to action in early December after missing 16 games across all competitions for club and country due to an earlier ankle injury. The latest setback means Dessers has not represented Nigeria at a major tournament, and with the 2026 World Cup out of reach, the forward will be 33 at the next AFCON.
Nigeria has since advanced to the knockout rounds and continues their quest for a fourth continental title. Dessers will begin an intensive rehabilitation programme as he targets a return to action for Panathinaikos later in the season. His social media message concluded with hope that the team and fans could celebrate victories and goals together soon.
