Genk striker Cyriel Dessers rubbishes reports that he is planning to dump Nigeria for Belgium

GENK of Belgium striker Cyriel Dessers has rubbished reports that he is planning to dumb the Super Eagles and opt for the Belgian national team instead pointing out that he remains committed to representing Nigerian in international football.

Dessers, 25, who recent joined Genk from Dutch side Heracles Almelo on a four year deal, was born in Belgium to a Belgian father and Nigerian mother. In December 2019 he elected to represent Nigeria at international level and Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has already invited him to camp for some of the African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Over the last week, there has been talk of Dessers abandoning Nigeria and opting for Belgium should he get a call-up from manager Roberto Martinez. However, the striker has refuted these reports, saying such stories are unfounded lies to attract website traffic as he remains fully committed to Nigeria.

“They made a story from nothing as I didn’t even talk with Belgium and then they make a story. I said I hoped for a call from Nigeria in September but that’s not even sure as it's the coach who decides and it's not in my hands," Dessers added

He stated that the suggestion to play for Belgium was made by Luc Nilis a former Belgian player who recommended him to the coach but he remains committed to making his debut for Nigeria when international matches resume. Dessers was handed a debut call-up in March for Nigeria’s impending double header clash against Sierra Leone but failed to make his debut as the match was cancelled due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.