Nigeria celebrated after an own goal by Ghana defender Razak Simpson during the Unity Cup match between Ghana and Nigeria at Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford. Cyriel Dessers, Semi Ajayi and Sikiru Alimi. [Photo Credit/ Imago].
Super Eagles striker, Cyriel Dessers’, has been Rangers’ top goalscorer over the past two years..
Rangers head coach Russell Martin has slammed his players for not showing a fighter’s mentality in their SPFL opener yesterday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Super Eagles striker, Cyriel Dessers, has been linked with a move away from Ibrox this summer, with Greek Super League side, AEK Athens submitting an offer for the for the ex-Cremonese man, but talks have cooled in recent weeks.
However, the Belgium-born Nigerian started the game against Motherwell on the bench before coming on in the 63rd minute.
A late strike from Emmanuel Longelo meant Rangers started the 2025/2026 SPFL season with a draw, and this infuriated Russell Martin.
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Russell Martin wants his players to emulate Dessers
Despite playing just 27 minutes at the Fir Park, the ex-Southampton coach lauded Dessers’ grit.
“Some of them have to drop their ego, I’ll look at us tactically and accept my responsibility in it,” Russell Martin said in quotes revealed Sky Sports.
“But today, it’s not really tactical, it’s a mentality problem, and we got more than what we deserved actually.
“We need work out who really wants to be all in and who doesn’t, but Europe is not an excuse. This club demands to play in Europe.
“We’ve qualified for that, so we’re going to be playing in Europe a lot and we’re going to have games after the European games a lot, and we have to manage them way better than today.”
“Cyriel [Dessers] is the only one that we’ve actually had a bid for and he comes on and he runs so hard. Some of them need to have a look at him and set that example,” the Scottish manager said about the Super Eagles star.
“There will be people left behind if they don’t want to come. They’ll be left behind because they need to understand really what playing for this football club will take and what it means, and not just when it’s having a nice time.
“I know what we’re coming into, and I understand the fans’ frustration.
“We are only one game in, and it is a work in progress. We need to work out quickly who really wants to listen, who will really fight, who will really run when the going gets tough,” Russell Martin concluded.
Rangers have the chance to make amends on Tuesday when they take on Viktoria Plzen in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria.
With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience.
He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.