Connect with us

Nigeria Players Abroad

SPL: Leon Balogun, Cyriel Dessers inspire Rangers to massive win over Aberdeen 

Published

on

SPL: Leon Balogun, Cyriel Dessers inspire Rangers to massive win over Aberdeen 
By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian duo of Leon Balogun and Cyriel Dessers stole the show as Rangers thrashed Aberdeen 3-0 in a Scottish Premiership encounter at Ibrox Stadium on Wednesday night.
Rangers boss Philippe Clement started both Balogun and Dessers from the bench as he opted to retain the same starting lineup from their previous win over St Johnstone on Sunday.
Balogun made a welcome return to the gameday squad after recovering from an injury that had kept him sidelined for six consecutive league matches while Dessers continued his second striking role behind Moroccan striker Hamza Igamane
Igamane gave Rangers the opening goal in the 13th minute as he slotted home a rebounded effort after Mohamed Diomande’s shot was blocked.
Balogun, who replaced Robin Propper for the last 15 minute of the encounter headed home the second goal for Rangers three minutes from time for his first goal of the season.
Dessers who came in for Igamane in the 89th minute wrapped up the scoring in the stoppage time ending his six-game goal drought in the Premiership.
The victory over Aberdeen has seen Rangers close the gap on leaders Celtic to thirteen points.
Dessers is however uncertain about his future as his contract is expiring soon and his link to a possible exit before the end of the January transfer window.
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.