Dessers Proud of Super Eagles’ Bronze Medal Feat at AFCON 2025

Super Eagles forward Cyriel Dessers has praised his teammates after Nigeria clinched the bronze medal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Dessers — who missed most of the tournament due to a thigh injury — travelled back to the Super Eagles camp ahead of the third-place playoff against Egypt to support his teammates. Nigeria defeated Egypt 4–2 on penalties after a goalless draw, securing their ninth bronze medal in AFCON history.

Asked about his fitness and decision to rejoin the squad despite not playing, Dessers said he is currently in rehabilitation but wanted to be there for the team. “I’m in rehab now,” he said. He added: “I travelled here for this game and I’m so proud of the boys what they did today and in the whole tournament — they deserve to take something and I’m happy they did.”

The Panathinaikos striker’s comments highlighted his admiration for the unity and fighting spirit shown by the Super Eagles throughout the competition, even as he missed action on the pitch.

EDITORIAL

Football’s narrative is rarely confined to what happens under the glare of official minutes. It extends into the quieter gestures of solidarity, presence and shared purpose that bind a squad into something greater than a collection of individuals. Cyriel Dessers’ reflection on Nigeria’s bronze-medal triumph at AFCON 2025 encapsulates precisely this. To watch from the sidelines is, for a professional athlete, perhaps the greatest test of patience and empathy — yet Dessers embraced it, choosing to rejoin his teammates not out of obligation but solidarity.

Dessers’ pride in his colleagues speaks to something profound about the soul of this Super Eagles side a group that, even in the absence of its injured striker, found a way to write its own narrative of resilience. To secure third place via penalties against a formidable Egyptian side after the bitter disappointment of a semi-final exit — required more than tactical nous it demanded psychological cohesion and collective belief. What Dessers observed firsthand was not merely athletic performance but the invisible glue that holds teams together in moments of adversity and expectation.

Such achievements are not measured only in medals but in the affirmation of character. Nigeria’s journey through the tournament, punctuated by moments of tactical discipline and fiery intent, became a canvas upon which the resilience of this group was painted. Dessers’ words — respectful of his teammates and humble in his own plight remind us that football is as much about the unspoken bonds forged in dressing rooms and on training grounds as it is about goals and trophies.

This bronze, then, is more than an accolade it is testament to a team that weathered disappointment yet refused to yield to it. In choosing to stand with his brethren during the decisive match, Dessers honoured not just his squad but the enduring spirit that defines Nigerian football.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Nigeria’s victory over Egypt on penalties extended the Super Eagles’ record to nine AFCON third-place medals, more than any other nation in the competition’s history.
2. Dessers missed most of AFCON 2025 due to a thigh injury but still joined the squad to support his teammates in the bronze medal match.
3. The 2025 AFCON bronze medal match ended 0–0 before going to penalties, where Nigeria triumphed 4–2.
4. Dessers is currently in rehabilitation, focusing on recovery following his tournament-ending injury.
5. President Bola Tinubu described Nigeria’s bronze medal as “a bronze that feels like gold”, praising the team’s resilience after their semi-final loss.