Fenerbahce head coach José Mourinho has praised Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers following his exceptional performance in Rangers UEFA Europa League victory on Thursday night.
The 30-year-old Super Eagles striker opened the scoring just seven minutes into the match at the Ülker Stadyumu, celebrating with a cheeky taunt toward the Fenerbahce fans by cupping his ears.
This bold celebration led to a lighthearted moment with Mourinho, who seemed to enjoy the fiery spirit of the Super Eagles forward.
Dessers didn’t stop at scoring; he also assisted in Rangers’ second goal and played a crucial role in their third before being substituted in the 88th minute.
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Mourinho was full of admiration for his performance, stating, “Dessers is a good player, but today he looked like the best player in the world, although he’s not.”
Mourinho is positive despite the first leg disappointment orchestrated by Super Eagles poacher Dessers.
The former Chelsea boss also commended Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland for his critical saves during the match. Despite his side’s underwhelming performance, Mourinho made it clear that the tie is far from over.
“Our performance wasn’t good overall, We had chances but couldn’t take them, and our midfield wasn’t functioning well. We lost too many duels, and our passing was too slow.
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Defensively, we made mistakes. Rangers deserve the result, but it’s not over. We’re 3-1 down, but we’ll fight in the second leg.”Mourinho said.
The return leg will take place at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow next Thursday, where Rangers will look to solidify their defense and secure a spot in the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals.
