Genk of Belgium forward Cyriel Dessers says his aim is to score more goal for the senior national team of Nigeria as the team gear up for Thursday’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers game against Sierra Leone in Abuja.

Dessers opened his goal account for the Nigerian team in the 1-2 friendly loss to Mexico in the United States of America but fired blank in the next friendly game which the team lost 0-1 to Ecuador.

He says the goal is a dream come true for him and till date he gets goosebumps when discussing his first international goal which he hopes will be the first of many in the colours of the senior national team of Nigeria.

We caught up with the forward for an exclusive interview with OwnGoalNigeria.com in the camp of the Super Eagles and he spoke about the experience of scoring for Nigeria as well his time on loan to Feyenoord, where he emerged as top scorer last season in the Conference League. He also spoke about his immediate club future.

On his first goal for Nigeria:

“It’s an amazing feeling, that’s something you dream of for years, and to score my first goal against an opponent like Mexico and happening in a big stadium, it’s hard to believe.  When I talk about the goal, I get goosebumps, but I hope there would be some more goals to come from me.

On competing with Osimhen and co in Super Eagles Attack

It’s pretty hard just like you said because we have eight or nine players who can be called up but of course there are only three here. We have to fight hard to be in top shape but I enjoyed this battle, it’s not even a battle because we do it for the country. I enjoy the competition we have and when we arrive here of course we are here to help each other, to support each other because we all have one goal.

On his form last season for Feyenoord 

I think I had a pretty good season. I scored 21 goals , we got to the final of the Europa Conference League which was an unbelievable achievement. Unfortunately we lost it against AS Roma but also in the league we did some pretty good things because Feyenoord has had some really difficult season but I think this season we built up the confidence again, we built the relationship with the fans with some nice football, attacking football with a lot of goals. I think that might be the biggest victory we had this season.

On staying at Feyenoord or returning to Genk

I don’t look at it like that because it’s also possible I make a move abroad. I think I am 27 years old now. I had a good season becoming top scorer in the Conference League. So maybe this is also a chance for me to make a step abroad.

Nigeria international defender Ola Aina says he is aiming for a fresh start with the senior national team of Nigeria under new coach Jose Peseiro starting with the first competitive game against Sierra Leone on Thursday.

The former Chelsea defender has already had a taste of life under the new coach as he was part of the team that lost 0-1 to Ecuador in an international friendly in the United States of America, in what was Peseiro’s second consecutive loss after the 1-2 loss to Mexico.

Aina who is in the camp of the team spoke exclusively to OwnGoalNigeria.com on range of issues from what led to the failure to qualify for the World Cup after the 1-1 draw with Ghana in Abuja to his future at Italian Serie A side Torino.

On last season
I think my season started well because you know I was playing really well, starting all the time and then after January like everyone knows the game time wasn’t there much. It was a little much up and down but I think I finished the season really strong. We will have to see what happens over the summer. I am not sure. I have only one year left, I am not sure what will happen.

Failure to qualify for World Cup

The game in Abuja, I think we went into the game very confident. I think I certainly did. I feel like we were on the front foot from the first whistle you know. You see Victor goal was disallowed. We had many opportunities in the first half to many even put the game to sleep very early but it wasn’t to happen and this things happen to football.

New coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro gave an idea of how the team will probably line up against Sierra Leone on Thursday during yesterday’s training.

Peseiro had the team play a practice match among themselves which ended in a win for the team that looks more like the B team as it had less of the players who are expected to be in the starting lineup. Cyriel Dessers scored the only goal of the session.

The coach paired Dessers in attack with Terem Moffi like he did in the two friendly games against Mexico and Ecuador respectively. While for the other team he had Victor Osimhen in attack as a pair with Sadiq Umar.

It appears the team will play in a 4-4-2 formation with the full backs occupying very high position to allow the wingers drift in to join the attackers in the box. Yesterday’s training it was Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze who were deployed to the wings.

Per yesterday training, the coach is focused more on how the players will make use of the ball in possession and also how they defend without it as he had specific drills on those aspect during the course of the training.

Green Jerseys: Uzoho, Ekong, Ajayi, Ola, Bassey, Iwobi, Aribo, Simon, Samu, Osimhen, Sadiq

Training Bib: Adewale, Omeruo (Awaziem), Balogun, Zaidu, Shehu, Etebo, Onyeka, Lookman (Sani), Musa, Dessers, Moffi.

Yesterday the senior national team of Nigeria had their second training in Abuja ahead of the start of the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they will take on Sierra Leone in Abuja.

Head coach of the Nigerian team Jose Peseiro had the full compliment of 24 players in training although two players trained separately from the rest of the squad as they bid to return to full fitness. They are the duo of Innocent Bonke and Emmanuel Dennis.

OwnGoalNigeria noticed the training methods of the coach is entirely different from that of his former foreign predecessor Gernot Rohr from the way the team warm up to how the session as a whole unfolds.

Rohr usually have the boys run laps and do drills with cone before stretching and playing against each other but that is not the same with Peseiro usually have them do the warm up drills with balls.

His drills are mostly with the ball and more tactical. It’s easy to tell that he wants his team to be dominant on the ball hence always ensuring that in training they are comfortable with the ball at all times.

Also it’s not the usual playing of games between themselves like it was during the tenure of Rohr. Peseiro yesterday had them play a mini round robin game in a tight space where he divided them into four separate teams.

We later gathered from one of the players that the essence of the drill in such a tight space is to help them break down teams that will sit back to defend. A scenario they expect will happen against Sierra Leone on Thursday.

His drills are more tactical and intense right from the warm up to the games the players had among themselves. He pays more attention to details and individual trainings than Rohr who was at the helm for six years.

The captain of the senior national team of Nigeria Ahmed Musa has turned his back on his proposed retirement from international football insisting that he still has what it takes to play for the senior national team of Nigeria.

In a press conference before the Super Eagles campaign started at the last Africa Cup of Nations, Musa said the tournament will be his last in the colours of Nigeria but he has now made a u-turn on that statement.

“Yes, I said it was my last tournament, but I did not say I am out of the Super Eagles; what people say is their opinion but for me, I am still a player of the Super Eagles. I have not called it quit and the coaches know that I have something to give and that’s why I am here with the team”, he told journalists during yesterday’s training.

He said he is looking forward to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and hopefully be a part of the team for the tournament if he is still actively playing football. He reckoned his invitation is in the hands of the coach and whenever he is called up he will honour it.

“The next AFCON is in 2023, so if I am still playing active football and the coach says he still wants me around, I am very much available to give my best.The invitation is not in my hands, only they can invite and if they do, I would always honour the invitation,” Musa said.

The senior national team of Nigeria had their first full training session in Abuja ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers game against Sierra Leone on Thursday.

Head coach of the Nigerian team Jose Peseiro who will be leading the team out for the first time in a competitive game put the players through their paces for around two hours.

After various drills, the coach had the players up against each other in a test game which was decided by a solitary goal from Genk of Belgium forward Cyriel Dessers.

Peseiro later supervised a shooting drill which had all players take shots at the three goalkeppers in the camp of the team for the game. Meanwhile the duo of Innocent Bonke and Emmanuel Dennis trained separately as they continue to recover from knocks.

Below is how they lined up in training.

Green Jerseys: Uzoho, Ekong, Ajayi, Ola, Bassey, Iwobi, Aribo, Simon, Samu, Osimhen, Sadiq

Training Bib: Adewale, Omeruo (Awaziem), Balogun, Zaidu, Shehu, Etebo, Onyeka, Lookman (Sani), Musa, Dessers, Moffi.

The senior national team of Nigeria had their second training session in Abuja ahead of Thursday’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone.

Coach of the team Jose Peseiro and his assistants led the group out for the session which had all the invited players in attendance aside the duo of Innocent Bonke and Emmanuel Dennis.

Both players trained separately from the group with the physio of the team as they continue to recover from knocks picked up during the team’s engagement in the United States of America.

Bonke picked up a knock and was substituted in the first friendly game against Mexico which the team lost 1-2 and didn’t get to play any part in the second friendly which was the 0-1 loss to Ecuador. He hasn’t recover to be part of the group training.

Dennis on his part appeared to have picked up a knock yesterday during their first session and he was made to also have some fitness drills with the team’s physio. Both players are in a race against time to be fit for Thursday game.

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro for the first time had the full compliment of all players he will be needing for the start of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Peseiro had them all in a training session yesterday evening at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja which lasted for a little over an hour with the first fifteen minutes opened to the press.

They had a short game which was conditioned on using the ball in tight spaces sensing that Sierra Leone will likely park the bus when the game comes up on Thursday.

The duo of Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen were very comfortable during the session as they combined with ease much to the delight of the coach who gave them thumbs up severally.

Alex Iwobi was also very exciting with his deft touches getting him out of tight spaces. He also showed quick feets to move through tight areas. Same as the duo of Moses Simon and Emmanuel Dennis.

Meanwhile the coach has started the process of giving the team his own ways by expressing his unhappiness at certain players who wore earrings, necklaces and finger rings to training. He told them he isn’t entirely pleased with it and wouldn’t mind them not wearing it at all.

It’s a sign that he won’t tolerate them putting on such item hence his first step towards stamping discipline in the camp of the team ahead of his first competitive game as coach.

New coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has revised the list of players who were initially invited for the friendly games against Mexico and Ecuador respectively.

Nigeria lost both games which are dress rehearsal for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers where Nigeria will take on Sierra Leone on the 9th of May before a game against Sao Tome and Principe on the 13th.

Peseiro has made some changes to the list of players with the axing of some players notably seven of the nine players from the Nigeria Professional Football League with only goalkepper Adewale Adeyinka and Faisal Sani surviving the chop.

Also youngsters Samson Tijani and Alhassan Yusuf who were unable to make it to the United States of America due to visa issues were not handed a chance to be a part of the squad for the AFCON qualifiers. Same goes for Valentine Ozornwafor whose club confirmed his invitation but he was conspicuously missing from the list.

There was a first time call up for Hapoel Jerusalem goalkepper Adebayo Adeleye with Olorunleke Ojo the goalkepper dropped for him to be a part of the team that will camp in Abuja for both games.

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Adewale Adeyinka (Akwa United); Adebayo Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem, Israel)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Sani Faisal (Katsina United);
Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain)

Midfielders: Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Innocent Bonke (FC Lorient, France); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal CF, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Cyriel Dessers (Feyenoord FC, The Netherlands); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Emmanuel Dennis(Watford, England)

The senior national team of Nigeria completed their tour of the United States of America without picking a win in any of the two friendly games they played. They lost 1-2 to Mexico before losing 0-1 to Ecuador.

OwnGoalNigeria.com picks five things new coach Jose Peseiro must have learnt from the two games as the team gets set for their first competitive game under his leadership on the 9th of May when they take on Sierra Leone in the AFCON 2023 qualifiers in Abuja.

1. Bonke can’t play in a 3-5-2 formation – Lorient of France midfielder Innocent Bonke started against Mexico in Peseiro’s first game at the helm. The coach deployed the team in a 3-5-2 formation with Bonke the deepest of the Nigerian midfielders.

Although he covered lot of grounds and won back possession. He clearly didn’t know what to do when on the ball particularly when under pressure. The teams didn’t get going until he was subbed off due to injury. Evidently he can’t function in a set up which places demands on midfielders to make better use of the play when in possession.

2. Time is ticking on Awaziem’s international career- For six years he failed to cement a spot as the centre back in the team. The thinking that Peseiro who handed Chidozie Awaziem his senior debut at Porto will naturally lean towards working with him as he rebuilds the team’s defence.

That isn’t the case at the moment as Semi Ajayi appears to have moved ahead of him in the pecking order. He played as a right back in both games and his performance isn’t something to be proud of. So poor that was he hooked off at the half time break yesterday. For now he isn’t a sure bet to start as right back or centre back. If that is the case after six years then it’s best to hand others the chance to challenge.

3. Calvin Bassey is here to stay – It’s safe to say that he was the best player for Nigeria over the course of both games. He was not just assured defensively. He was also a threat high up the pitch. That he can also play in central defence with ease means he is sure to be a mainstay of the team for a long while.

4. Uzoho isn’t that bad a goalkeeper- Francis Uzoho redeemed himself to an extent with two above average performances in both games. Read the lines well and handled properly. A massive improvement from his last showing where he gifted Ghana a cheap goal. It is hope that this game will boost his confidence which was badly dented by the incident in Abuja.

5. Emmanuel Dennis is a liability – Brilliant on the ball, poor of it and also very individualistic in his approach. He didn’t look like a player who wanted to be on the pitch. Missed two good sitters from inside the box against Mexico and almost cost the team twice when he walked away after losing possession instead of fighting to win it back. On both occasions Uzoho bailed the team out.

That Peseiro started Faisal, a defensive player ahead of him says a lot about how he probably perfomed in training. Yet to match his form at club level with a good showing for Nigeria. Three games, no goals, no assists isn’t what you expect from a forward who scored eleven goals for Watford.