Nigeria vs Ghana: Dessers reveals request to Iheanacho in ‘Jollof derby’

Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers has disclosed that he asked Kelechi Iheanacho’s permission to take the penalty that put Nigeria ahead in their 2-1 victory against Ghana at Stade de Marrakech on Friday.

The Rangers forward netted a 38th-minute spot-kick to send Nigeria 1-0 at halftime, and it stayed that way until the Super Eagles scored a brilliantly executed second in the game’s concluding minutes.

Jordan Ayew’s 95th-minute penalty halved the deficit, but Finidi George’s men claimed a 2-1 success, recording the three-time African champions’ first triumph over Ghana since 2006.

In a post-match interview pitch-side after scoring his second Nigeria goal, Dessers claimed an on-field request was made to the team’s designated penalty taker — Iheanacho.

“It’s a good victory for us,” said the Nigeria striker after the 2-1 win.  “I asked Kelechi if I could take it, and he said: ‘you can do it’. It’s special to take a penalty for the Super Eagles because it’s for a whole country, and in a special game against Ghana, you’ll definitely want to score.

“But I felt confident, and I could send the goalkeeper one way and score the penalty.”

Despite George revealing that changes could be made for Nigeria’s March 26 friendly against Mali, Dessers hopes to feature in the Super Eagles’ second outing during the international break, keen to make an impression in the absence of Victor Osimhen.