Dessers | Panathinaikos/X

Nigeria international, Cyriel Dessers, scored an extra-time winner as Panathinaikos defeated CSKA 1948 2-1 in Sofia to secure a place in the UEFA Conference League play-off round.

Dessers on Tuesday struck in the 94th minute at the Vasil Levski National Stadium, restoring Panathinaikos’ lead just two minutes after Lasha Dvali had equalised for the Bulgarian hosts.

The victory gave the Greek side a 3-2 aggregate success after last week’s 1-1 draw in Athens.

The visitors had taken control of the tie in the 66th minute when Levi Garcia found the bottom corner from a difficult angle to put Panathinaikos 1-0 ahead.

CSKA 1948 responded late, with Dvali converting in the 92nd minute to force extra time.

But Panathinaikos quickly regained the advantage.

Dessers, who had already gone close earlier in the second half, reacted inside the box to fire a right-footed effort into the bottom-left corner and settle the contest.

The result completed a dramatic turnaround for Panathinaikos, who had been held to a 1-1 draw by CSKA 1948 in the first leg at the Olympic Stadium in Athens on August 5.

Adriano Jagusic had given the Greek side the lead in the 21st minute of that opening encounter, rising to head Santino Andino’s cross into the net.

However, Georgi Rusev equalised in the 31st minute after a scramble inside the Panathinaikos penalty area.

Panathinaikos created opportunities to regain the lead in Athens, but CSKA goalkeeper Petar Marinov denied De Vrij with a strong save, while Rusev later went close to putting the visitors ahead. Gasevic also struck the crossbar in the 82nd minute as the Bulgarian side finished strongly.

The 1-1 result meant Panathinaikos travelled to Sofia knowing they needed to avoid defeat to keep their European campaign alive.

They ultimately did more than that, surviving CSKA’s late equaliser before Dessers’ extra-time intervention sent them through.

Panathinaikos will now continue their European campaign in the Conference League play-off round, with Dessers’ late goal proving decisive in a tie that remained in the balance until extra time.

Punch had reported in July that Dessers resumed full training with the Greek club ahead of the 2026/27 season after spending about six months on the treatment table with a thigh injury.

The striker marked his return from injury with a decisive goal that gave the team a chance to compete in Europe next season.

Tosin Oyediran

Tosin Oyediran is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of professional experience in reporting and storytelling. He is known for conducting incisive interviews and producing compelling human-angle stories that bring clarity and depth to the news. Tosin covers a broad range of beats including politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment, with a strong focus on people-centred reporting. His work reflects firsthand newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a commitment to accurate, engaging, and trustworthy journalism.