SCORING a double in Rangers’ emphatic cinch Premiership win over Hibernian at Ibrox on Saturday and taking his haul of goals to seven in as many games, pleased Abdallah Sima greatly.
The Senegalese striker, though, was just as satisfied to see his fellow forward Cyriel Dessers end a disappointing four match run without netting late on in the 4-0 league triumph.
Dessers, a £4.5m signing from Italian club Cremonese back in July, has struggled to justify his sizeable fee at times this term and has come in for criticism from supporters in recent weeks as a consequence.
So Sima was, along with all of his Rangers team mates, delighted when the Nigerian internationalist slotted beyond Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall with a composed finish at the weekend.
The Brighton loanee is as determined to supply the 28-year-old with opportunities up front as he is to add to his own tally – and he has now been on target nine times in all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign – in the weeks ahead.
“It’s always special to score goals,” he said. “So seven goals in seven games is really special for me.
“As a striker, it is very important for me to score goals and if I am scoring in almost every game it is helpful for my confidence. I feel it is getting higher all the time and I am hoping to score goals in every game. I have to keep going.
“But it’s not just about Abdallah Sima scoring. I am happy when any of the strikers, or anyone else in the team, scores goals. The important thing is that the team won the game.
“But Cyriel was very happy to score and we were very happy for him also. For a striker, it is important to score. For him, it has been hard because he had not managed to score for a few games. So we are all happy that he has scored again.”
Sima added: “He is someone who works really hard for the team. In life, sometimes there are hard moments. But even in those moments, he has worked so hard and has remained positive.
“For me, I am happy with my goals, but I am just as happy for the other guys to score and it was great that Cyriel got his goal to help us. We will keep helping him to score again.”
Sima is optimistic that better times lie ahead for everyone at Rangers under new manager Philippe Clement after being impressed with the Belgian during his first week in the job.
The 22-year-old is confident that all of the summer recruits – and Jose Cifuentes, Danilo, Kieran Dowell, Sam Lammers and Dujon Sterling have also made underwhelming impacts to date - can go from strength to strength working under the vastly-experienced coach and with the continued help of the more established players.
“He told me that he is happy with what he saw from me before he arrived,” he said. “He has told me to keep going and to perform in the way I was before he came here.
“He is a new manager with new thoughts and a new mentality, so it will take time for his ideas to come across. But he wants us to work harder than before. We know this is going to be a long season, so we have to keep working hard.
“But that’s why I joined this club - to give everything, every day. I know this is a big club, which has a big support and great fans. So I have to work hard and give everything to them and for the team.
“But it’s not just me. It’s all the team. We all feel the same. We know we have to give everything for each other on the pitch.”
Sima added: “We have many experienced players in the changing room. Players who have played at a high level, and they have helped us, just as we have tried to help each other since we came in.
“We just focus on what we are going to do in the next game and to be better as a team. We have to help each other.”
Rangers fans have called on Ibrox directors to sign Sima, who has had temporary spells at Stoke City in England and Angers in France in the past two years and has joined the Glasgow giants from Brighton on a season-long loan, permanently after his brace against Hibs.
The four-times capped internationalist, who is under contract at the Falmer Stadium until 2025, is flattered but he has not given any thought to his long-term plans and is simply focused on continuing his impressive run of form.
Asked if he would prepared to extend his stay in Scotland when his current agreement ends next year, he said: “I don’t know. I’m just happy to be here and to score goals and enjoy every minute of being here at Rangers.
“Before I came here, they told me it is a big club with amazing fans, but I didn’t expect it to be as big as it is. Let’s see what is going to happen in a few months.”
