By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian striker Cyriel Dessers has cautioned Glasgow Rangers to stay focused and prepared for a potential Fenerbahce comeback in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie.
Rangers secured a 3-1 win in the first leg against the Turkish side, with Dessers scoring twice and Vaclav Cerny adding another for the Scottish giants.
However, Dessers is fully aware of Fenerbahce’s potential to turn the tie around, especially under the management of Jose Mourinho.
Speaking ahead of the second leg at Ibrox on Thursday, the 30-year-old emphasized the need for Rangers to maintain a positive mindset and continue playing their game without becoming overly defensive.
“We have put ourselves in a good position but we also know how good Fenerbahce are,” Dessers said.
“They can be tricky. They have an exceptional manager and have had a few nice comeback stories in Europe. But we don’t want to be part of that.”
Dessers also stressed the importance of focusing on attacking.
“We know the way we want to go. We need to focus on our game. We need to focus on trying to score and not only stick in our mind that we have to defend, defend.”
With the tie still in the balance, Rangers will need to remain vigilant and take their chances in the second leg to secure their place in the Europa League quarter-finals.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
