Connect with us

Champion League

Europa League: Dessers shines, Balogun impresses as Rangers Stun Osayi-Samuel’s Fenerbahçe

Published

on

Europa League: Dessers shines, Balogun impresses as Rangers Stun Osayi-Samuel’s Fenerbahçe

By Dayo Awoniyi

Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers was the star of the show as Rangers pulled off a stunning 2-1 win over Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 on Thursday night.

Dessers, who is part of Nigeria’s provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, opened the scoring for Rangers in the sixth minute.

He then turned provider in the 42nd minute, assisting to give Rangers a 2-1 lead going into halftime.

The Nigerian forward’s dazzling performance was matched by a solid defensive display from Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun, who was introduced in the 28th minute to help shore up the defense.

Fenerbahçe’s Bright Osayi-Samuel, another Super Eagles player, was notably absent from the match due to suspension.

The victory gives Rangers a crucial advantage heading into the return leg, which will take place next Thursday in Scotland

. The overall winners will advance to the quarterfinals of the Europa League.

author avatar
Samuel Ahmadu
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.
Continue Reading
.

Mobile applications

Our mobile app is optimized for your phone. Download it for free!

Connect With Us

© 2025, nigeriafootball | All Rights Reserved.