By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian forward Cyriel Dessers was on target for Rangers as they played out a 1-1 draw with arch-rivals Celtic in the final Old Firm derby of the Scottish Premier League (SPL) season on Sunday.
Dessers opened the scoring in the 44th minute, slotting home confidently after latching onto a well-timed through ball from Mohamed Diomande. The goal marked his 24th strike of a prolific season for the Light Blues.
Celtic responded shortly after the break, with Irish striker Adam Idah netting the equalizer in the 57th minute — a crucial goal that inches the Hoops closer to retaining the league title.
Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun also impressed for Rangers, delivering a composed performance over 90 minutes in his first full match since undergoing cheekbone surgery.
The pulsating encounter, rich in intensity and drama, did little to change the league’s title picture, but both Nigerian internationals left their mark in one of football’s fiercest rivalries.
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.
