Cyriel Dessers scored twice as Panathinaikos thrashed Kairat Almaty 5-1 at the Central Stadium in Kazakhstan on Thursday, maintaining their perfect start to the UEFA Conference League league phase and sending a loud message to Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle.
Dessers at the double in Almaty
Panathinaikos needed only six minutes to take control. Georgios Kyriakopoulos created the opening and Vicente Taborda converted to give the Greek side an early lead against a Kairat team roared on by their home crowd.
Dessers doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 24th minute, sending goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov the wrong way with the composure of a striker in red-hot form. The visitors thought they had a third before half-time, only for an Andrews Tetteh effort to be ruled out following a VAR review, as detailed in the match report by Bold Sports.
It took the Nigerian just two minutes of the second half to complete his brace. Tetteh turned provider this time, supplying the pass from which Dessers fired home to make it 3-0 and effectively end the contest. The 31-year-old was withdrawn in the 56th minute to a deserved rest, his work emphatically done.
The rout is completed
Panathinaikos were in no mood to ease off. Kings Kangwa struck a fourth in the 57th minute, and substitute Elmin Rastoder — the man who replaced Dessers — added the fifth in the 75th minute. Ismail Bekbolat pulled back a consolation for Kairat four minutes later, but as ThisDay reported, this was a statement away performance from the Greek side, who now sit on six points after two league-phase matches.
Dessers was not the only Nigerian international on the scoresheet in Europe on Thursday — Ndidi also found the net for Besiktas in their draw with Crystal Palace — on a night when the Conference League also saw Brighton held in the Czech Republic.
Four in three for the Super Eagles striker
The brace continues a rich vein of form for Dessers. He scored in Panathinaikos' 2-1 Conference League victory over Borac Banja Luka and again in the 5-1 league win against Asteras Tripolis, taking his tally to four goals in his last three appearances for the club.
That run has inevitably reignited talk of an international recall. It has been reported that Dessers is strengthening his case to return to the Super Eagles squad ahead of Nigeria's November fixtures, and on this evidence Chelle can hardly ignore him: penalty-box strikers who score in different ways — a penalty here, a powerful finish there — are exactly what tournament football demands.
So what does it mean?
For Panathinaikos, a perfect two wins from two keeps them firmly on course for the knockout rounds, with CSKA Sofia next up at home in this competition and a trip to Volos in the Greek Super League on Sunday. For Kairat, one point from two matches leaves them already playing catch-up. And for Dessers, every goal in green is another argument that his international exile should end.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Dessers has spent his career being underestimated — at Feyenoord, at Cremonese, at Rangers — and he keeps answering the same way, with goals. A brace in Almaty will not make headlines in Athens for long, but for Nigeria it should matter: form like this, sustained over three straight scoring appearances, is how you force a coach's hand. Chelle should pick up the phone. Should Dessers be leading the line for the Super Eagles in November? Let us know in the comments.
