By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria striker Cyriel Dessers has singled out Remo Stars full-back Sodiq Ismail as one of the standout performers among the home-based players integrated into the national team setup.
Ismail was one of 10 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) players invited for the recently concluded Unity Cup in London, where Nigeria emerged champions.
The 21-year-old featured in both matches during the mini-tournament, showcasing composure and quality on the ball.
His pinpoint cross assisted Dessers’ goal in Nigeria’s victory over Ghana—an effort the Glasgow Rangers forward praised while speaking to Proudly Austin.
“It has been a tough week with three games in two days,” Dessers said.
“Some guys already showed it this week. For example, if I can pick out one—Sodiq [Ismail]. He was very good against Ghana and Jamaica, so you can see he is ready for this level.”
Ismail will look to build on his momentum as the Super Eagles prepare to face Russia in a friendly match scheduled for Friday in Moscow.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
