Top Super Eagles Players Withdraw From Mexico and Ecuador Friendlies As Cyriel Dessers Arrives USA Camp

Top Super Eagles Players Withdraw From Mexico and Ecuador Friendlies As Cyriel Dessers Arrives USA Camp

Chukwu Ikechukwu
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:03 PM
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  • Europa Conference League top scorer, Cyriel Dessers is the latest player to arrive the Super Eagles camp in the USA
  • Dessers has only made one senior appearance for the Super Eagles but fancies his chances of adding to his tally in the friendly games against Mexico and Ecuador
  • Top Super Eagles players including Ahmed Musa, Samuel Chukwueze are the latest to rule themselves out of the international friendly games

Players in the Super Eagles camp have risen to 20 following the arrival of Feyenoord striker, Cyriel Dessers ahead of Nigeria’s international friendly games against Mexico and Ecuador.

Dessers on Wednesday, May 25 featured for his Dutch team in the Europa Conference League final defeat to AS Roma but emerged as the competition’s top scorer with 10 goals.

Super Eagles, Mexico, Ecuador, Cyriel Dessers, USA, Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel Dennis, Nigeria
Cyriel Dessers was involved in the Europa Conference League final for Feyenoord on Wednesday, May 25. Photo by ANP
Source: Getty Images

According to a report via Soccernet, the 27-year-old forward has expressed delight to be back on the Super Eagles team with his last appearance for the national team dating back to 2020.

Dessers revealed he is looking forward to the international friendlies against Mexico later on Saturday, May 28 as Nigeria begins a new era under new manager, Jose Poseiro.

Following Mexico, Nigeria will play Ecuador in a friendly match before hosting Sierra Leone in the first encounter of the 2023 Afcon qualification series in Abuja.

Musa, Chukwueze, others withdraw from friendly games

Meanwhile, captain of the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa will not be involved when Nigeria tackles North American giants, Mexico in an international friendly in the USA.

According to Complete Sports, Musa joins a long list of Super Eagles players to have withdrawn from the USA friendly games including Samuel Chukwueze, Emmanuel Dennis, and Zaidu Sanusi.

Others include Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho, Sadiq Umar, and Abdullahi Shehu as visa hitches, injuries, and club commitments are the reasons for the many withdrawals.

Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro speaks after first Super Eagles training

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has disclosed that his major priority for Nigeria is to qualify for and then win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by Ivory Coast.

It was the Portuguese' first training in charge of the team since he was appointed to take over from Augustine Eguavoen who failed to qualify the team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Nigeria will take on Mexico and Ecuador in friendly matches slated for the United States and the Portuguese tactician has taken charge of the team.

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Chukwu Ikechukwu
Chukwu Ikechukwu Godwin is a journalist with over 9 years of experience in the Nigerian media industry. He has worked both in Radio (Today FM, Rhythm FM, Wish FM) and Television (Silverbird TV) as a Sports Analyst..
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