Cyriel Dessers made a dream return to competitive action on Tuesday night, coming off the bench to score the extra-time winner as Panathinaikos defeated CSKA 1948 2-1 to advance to the final round of UEFA Conference League qualification.
The Nigerian striker had not made any appearance in 238 days after suffering an injury while representing Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. However, he made an immediate impact on his return, scoring the decisive goal to help Panathinaikos secure a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Panathinaikos entered the second leg following a 1-1 draw in the first meeting and knew they needed a positive result away from home to keep their European campaign alive.
Levi Garcia put the Greek side ahead in the 60th minute, but CSKA 1948 refused to surrender and restored parity through Lasha Dvali in the 87th minute.
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The late equaliser sent the contest into extra time, where Dessers who was introduced in the 65th minute, eventually became the hero.
Five minutes into extra time, the 31-year-old found the decisive goal to put Panathinaikos back in front and complete a remarkable comeback on his long-awaited return.
CSKA 1948 were unable to find another response, with Dessers’ goal ultimately ending the Bulgarian side’s hopes of reaching the Conference League league phase for the 2026/27 campaign.
Panathinaikos now have one final qualifying tie to navigate before securing their place in the Conference League league phase. They will face either Hradec Králové or Beşiktaş, with the first leg scheduled for August 20 and the return leg to follow a week later.
After 238 days without playing, Dessers could hardly have scripted a better return. The Nigerian forward will now look to build on his match-winning comeback as Panathinaikos continue their European journey.
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