Nigeria international Cyriel Dessers produced a dramatic late moment for Panathinaikos on Tuesday night, scoring in extra time to secure a 2-1 victory over CSKA 1948 Sofia and send the Greek club into the UEFA Conference League play off round.
The Bulgarian side had pushed Panathinaikos all the way in Sofia after the first leg ended 1-1 in Athens. With qualification on the line, both teams entered the second meeting knowing that there was little room for error, and the contest eventually required extra time before Panathinaikos found the decisive breakthrough.
Panathinaikos started the second leg with the advantage of home experience from the opening match, but CSKA 1948 were determined to make their home advantage count. The first half was closely contested, with neither side able to find the breakthrough.
The Greek visitors gradually increased their pressure after the interval and eventually took the lead in the 60th minute. Levi Garcia finished the move to put Panathinaikos 1-0 ahead and give the visitors an important advantage in the tie.
CSKA 1948 refused to surrender, however, and continued searching for an equaliser. Their persistence was eventually rewarded in the 87th minute when Lasha Dvali found the back of the net to make it 1-1.
The late equaliser completely changed the mood of the match and forced the two teams into extra time. With neither side able to settle the contest during the remaining minutes of normal time, Panathinaikos needed another moment of quality to keep their European campaign alive.
That moment came through Dessers.
The Super Eagles striker capitalised on a costly mistake by the CSKA 1948 goalkeeper early in extra time and calmly converted the opportunity to restore Panathinaikos’ lead. The goal arrived around the 94th minute according to match records, although some reports describe it as coming in the opening period of extra time.
Dessers’ finish ultimately proved decisive as Panathinaikos held on for a 2-1 victory and advanced to the Conference League play off round.
For the Nigerian forward, the goal was an important return to the spotlight. Dessers has built a reputation for producing important goals in European competition, particularly during his memorable spell with Feyenoord.
The striker was born in Leuven, Belgium, and developed through the youth system at OH Leuven before beginning his senior career with Lokeren. He subsequently played for NAC Breda, Utrecht and Heracles Almelo in the Netherlands, where his goalscoring ability continued to attract attention.
His breakthrough on the European stage came during his time with Genk and particularly during his loan spell at Feyenoord. In the 2021/22 campaign, Dessers became the leading scorer in the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League, scoring 10 goals as Feyenoord reached the final.
That experience has made him a valuable attacking option for Panathinaikos, especially in European qualifying matches where one goal can determine an entire season’s direction.
Dessers later played for Cremonese and Rangers before moving to Panathinaikos. His career has taken him through several European leagues, giving him considerable experience in high pressure matches.
His latest goal is also significant for Nigeria. Dessers has represented the Super Eagles at senior level after previously being eligible to play for Belgium. His ability to operate as a centre forward and his instinct around the penalty area have made him one of the attacking options available to Nigeria.
The result also ended CSKA 1948’s European campaign for the season, while Panathinaikos moved one step closer to securing a place in the Conference League league phase.
For Panathinaikos, the victory was built on resilience. They had led through Garcia, conceded a late equaliser through Dvali and then found a way to respond in extra time. Dessers’ opportunistic finish eventually separated the two sides.
The Greek club can now look forward to the play off round, where the challenge will become even greater. Another successful tie would take Panathinaikos into the league phase of the competition and give them the opportunity to compete against some of Europe’s established clubs.
Dessers, meanwhile, will take confidence from a goal that arrived at precisely the right moment. After an intense night in Sofia, the Nigerian striker once again demonstrated why he can be a dangerous player when matches enter their decisive stages.
His latest European heroics have given Panathinaikos another reason to believe and provided Nigerian football supporters with another memorable moment from one of the country’s forwards playing abroad.
