Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers has expressed disappointment at being consistently overlooked for competitive matches with the Nigerian national team, despite his impressive performances in friendly games.

The 30-year-old striker, who recently featured in Nigeria's Unity Cup invitational tournament in London, admitted that his exclusion from official games has been a painful experience.

"It hurts sometimes. It feels disappointing," Dessers told ModZero Sports. "I've been in and around the squad for five years now, and I haven't played an official game yet – just friendlies. I am going to say that hurts."

Dessers has made seven appearances for the Super Eagles, all in friendly matches, scoring four goals in total. His recent performance at the Unity Cup was particularly notable, where he contributed one goal and an assist across two appearances.

Despite his prolific record for the three-time African champions, averaging better than a goal every two games, the Rangers forward has yet to be selected for any competitive fixtures such as Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers or World Cup qualifying matches.

The striker's comments highlight the competitive nature of Nigeria's forward positions, with the national team technical staff consistently preferring other options for official tournaments and qualifying matches despite Dessers' goal-scoring form at both club and international level.

With Nigeria's upcoming competitive fixtures on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether Dessers' recent performances and public expression of disappointment will influence future squad selections.