Cyriel Dessers marked his return from an eight-month injury nightmare in the perfect way, coming off the bench to score the extra-time winner that sent Panathinaikos through in Europe.
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Cyriel Dessers scored the match-winning goal as Panathinaikos beat hosts CSKA Sofia 2-1 in the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round tie, sending the Greek giants through to the playoff round 3-2 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
The Super Eagles forward was introduced five minutes after the hour mark and needed only until the fifth minute of extra time to make his mark, netting the decisive goal to complete the aggregate victory. Panathinaikos celebrated the moment with a short message on their official X account “Back like he never left.”
That celebration carries real weight given what Dessers has been through. The 31 year old had not featured for the Greens since a Greek Super League match against Volos back in December 2025, having sustained a thigh injury while on international duty with Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in January. Fans following his comeback can check Bet9ja’s current promo code ahead of Panathinaikos’ playoff round tie.
What was initially described as a manageable setback ended up costing him nearly an entire season. The injury forced Dessers out of Nigeria’s AFCON campaign entirely, and after a series of setbacks in his recovery, he eventually underwent surgery in April 2026 to resolve the persistent issue, ruling him out for the remainder of last season and leaving him sidelined for roughly eight months in total.
There’s a bittersweet layer to his international story too. Despite being a regular presence around the Super Eagles squad for five years and scoring in high-profile friendlies, including providing the assist for Moses Simon’s winner in the 2025 Unity Cup final against Jamaica, Dessers has never actually featured in an official competitive match for Nigeria since his debut in 2020. “It hurts sometimes. It feels disappointing,” he admitted in an interview last year. New Bet9ja users following Nigerian strikers in Europe can check how to get the Bet9ja promotion code before the new European season builds momentum.
His club career carries a unique piece of history regardless. Dessers was the first-ever top scorer in UEFA Europa Conference League history, netting 10 goals for Feyenoord during the competition’s inaugural 2021/22 season while on loan from Genk, a record that still stands out on his résumé years later. He later moved through Cremonese, Rangers and, since 2025, Panathinaikos, who signed him for around 4.6 million euros.
With the injury nightmare finally behind him, Dessers now looks ahead to the Conference League playoff round, a stage that could put Panathinaikos on course for the group phase of the competition where he once made history. Punters following his return to full fitness can check Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code as the European season progresses.
For a player who has spent much of the past year on the sidelines, a decisive extra time goal on his long awaited return is exactly the kind of moment Dessers and Panathinaikos needed heading into a demanding new campaign.
📌 Did You Know?
- Dessers was the first-ever top scorer in UEFA Europa Conference League history, netting 10 goals for Feyenoord during the competition’s inaugural 2021/22 season.
- He made his Super Eagles debut in a 1-1 friendly draw with Tunisia in October 2020.
- Despite five years in and around the squad, Dessers has never featured in an official competitive match for Nigeria, only friendlies.
- He provided the assist for Moses Simon’s winning goal in the 2025 Unity Cup final against Jamaica.
- Dessers joined Panathinaikos from Rangers in 2025 for a fee of 4.6 million euros.
- His injury layoff kept him out for around eight months, including surgery in April 2026 to resolve a persistent thigh issue.
- Before Rangers, Dessers had spells at Cremonese, Genk, Heracles Almelo and Utrecht in a career that has taken him through several European leagues.
