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Tag: Moses Simon

  • Simon shortlisted  for Marc Vivien Foe Award

    Simon shortlisted  for Marc Vivien Foe Award

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles winger, Moses Simon,  will compete with 11 other African stars in the French League after they were all nominated for the prestigious Marc-Vivien Foé Award.

    The award which recognizes the best African player in France’s Ligue 1 will see the Super Eagles winger slug it out with his peers in the Ligue One to get the coveted accolade.

    Simon, who joined FC Nantes from Spanish club UD Levante a few seasons ago, has established himself as a key player for the French side.

    Read Also: Simon shortlisted  for Ligue1  Team of the Week

    Despite FC Nantes’ inconsistent form this season, the Nigerian international has been a standout performer, contributing significantly to the team’s efforts.

    He is among 12 players shortlisted for the award, which honours the legacy of the late Cameroonian footballer Marc-Vivien Foé.

    Full List of Nominees: Lamine Camara, Habib Diarra, Moussa Niakhaté, Evann Guessand, Hamed Junior Traoré, Yahia Fofana, Achraf Hakimi, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Amine Gouiri, Himad Abdelli, Moses Simon and Abdoulaye Touré.

    Simon has scored seven goals with eight assists from 25 league games this season.

  • Simon shortlisted  for Ligue1  Team of the Week

    Simon shortlisted  for Ligue1  Team of the Week

    Super Eagles winger Moses Simon has made WhoScored Ligue 1 Team of the Week  following his standout performers in Gameweek 23.

    Simon put up a fantastic performance complementing it with a goal in Nantes’ 3-1 victory over Lens on Sunday.

    The winger played a crucial role in Nantes’ win, scoring a penalty to double his team’s lead after Louis Leroux opened the scoring. Despite Neil El Aynaoui’s strike, Lens were unable to mount a comeback as Meschack Elia sealed the win for the Canaris in the final minutes.

    His impressive display went beyond his goal, as he demonstrated exceptional skill and work rate. He completed an impressive 90% of his passes, successfully executed 56% of his dribbles, and delivered accurate crosses and long balls.

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    He  also showcased his defensive prowess, making one clearance, four recoveries, and winning 60% of his ground duels, an inspirational performance that earned him a well-deserved spot in the Team of the Week.

    The rest of the team features a talented line-up, including goalkeeper Matthew Ryan (Lens), and defenders Aron Dønnum (Toulouse), Jubal (Auxerre), Clement Akpa (Auxerre), and Nicolas Pallois (Nantes). The midfield consists of Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse), Hicham Boudaoui (Nice), and Pierre Ekwah (Saint-Etienne), while the attack features Irvin Cardona (Saint-Etienne) and Gaëtan Laborde (Nice), alongside Moses Simon.

  • Footballer Moses Simon, wife welcome third child

    Footballer Moses Simon, wife welcome third child

    Super Eagles player Moses Simon has announced the arrival of his third child, a baby boy.

    The Nantes of France star took to social media to share the news, expressing his gratitude to God for the blessing.

    Simon, who married Ibukun Sarah Adenuga, in 2015, praised his wife for being a strong woman, saying he is always proud of her.

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    The couple already has two daughters and the new baby boy is a welcome addition to their family.

    “I find no words strong enough to express my exact feelings, I’m sincerely grateful to GOD. GOD has blessed my home with a baby boy. Thanks my Queen for this marvelous gift to our family, you are indeed a strong woman and I am always proud of you,” he wrote.

  • Simon excited on Nantes’ winning goal against Rennes

    Simon excited on Nantes’ winning goal against Rennes

    Nigerian winger Moses Simon has stressed that his goal against Stade de Rennes on Sunday was scored at the right moment in Nantes derby win over their neighbours in the French Ligue One tie.

    The Canaries secured their third win of the season in the French Ligue One and it was the Nigerian International who netted the only goal of the game in the 89th minute of the game.

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    Simon had to dribble through two defenders before he scored the goal and the Nigerian was overwhelmed with emotions after scoring the goal.

    “I can’t say it was magical because I already did it against Lens in 2022/2023 season, so I think it was the perfect moment, especially in the derby,” Simon told the club’s official website.

    “We needed the points, that’s the most important thing for us, we got them and we are very happy.”

    Simon already has four goals and four assists from 13 games for Nantes this season.

  • Nantes pick  Simon  as Player of the Month

    Nantes pick  Simon  as Player of the Month

    Moses Simon has been named Player of the Month for August by his French Ligue 1 club FC Nantes.

    The 29-year-old Super Eagles forward returned from injury in March to lift Nantes at the start of the new season.

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    In the month under review, he scored twice against AJ Auxerre and Montpellier.

    Nantes won both games.

  • French Ligue One: Simon sets sights on impressive season

    French Ligue One: Simon sets sights on impressive season

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles and FC Nantes winger Moses Simon says he has moved on from the injury he sustained towards the end of last season.

    Simon who has had great preseason activities with Nantes said he was delighted he was able to be ready for the first league game of the season against Toulouse which ended goalless. 

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    “Sunday was my return to action with FC Nantes. ” The best way to get back, the feeling of the field after my injury. ” A big thank you for your support. “We are Nantes”, he said.

  • Struggling Nantes lament Simon injury

    Struggling Nantes lament Simon injury

    LIGUE 1 club FC Nantes have lamented the absence of their biggest attacking force this season, Moses Simon, as they fight to stay up in the French top flight.

    Antoine Kombouare, who has been reappointed to save Nantes from relegation, said Simon is a huge loss as he could now be out for at least three months.

    “We are sad for him because he wanted to come back and help the team,” Kombouare lamented.

    “That is not the case. Now we have to do without him.

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    “It’s a huge blow for the team.”

    Simon underwent a successful surgery Friday after he fractured his ankle playing for the Super Eagles in a friendly against Mali in Morocco earlier this week.

    He has netted thrice and provided six assists as ‘The Canaries’ are stranded in the promotion/relegation playoffs bracket with eight rounds of matches till the end of the season.

  • Moses Simon: Osimhen thinks about victory, not goals

    Moses Simon: Osimhen thinks about victory, not goals

    Two-time AFCON‘s MVP and Super Eagles winger Moses Simon has revealed that Victor Osimhen isn’t worried about scoring goals but helping the team win matches in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cote D’Ivoire. The Napoli forward has managed to score only one goal for Nigeria after five matches played in the tournament.

    Speaking after Angola’s game, Simon added that it doesn’t matter who scores so far they are winning their matches.

    “The mood is very good in camp – we don’t even think about this and I believe he doesn’t even think about scoring. He thinks about victory, if he has the opportunity, he will score but if he has the opportunity to just give the pass but the important thing, I can say is we just want to win. We don’t care who scores or who doesn’t score,” Simon said.

    The Nantes of France winger said he sacrificed being the hero when he set up teammate Ademola Lookman to score the goal that sent Nigeria to the AFCON semifinals.

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    “What was going through my mind was that I pass the ball to Victor [Osimhen], Ademola or I score but at the moment we don’t need to be selfish, we just need to feed them and they score, I’m really happy he utilised the chances,” Simon said.

    Similarly, Osimhen stated he does not care about his lack of goals at the tournament.

    Their victory in the round of eight match at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan was secured by a single goal from Ademola Lookman towards the end of the first half.

    A quarter of an hour from the end, Osimhen headed in a Lookman free-kick to find the net, but the attempt was flagged offside.

    Said Osimhen: “Those who know me, they know I don’t put myself before the team. If my goal comes, they come,” the Napoli striker told broadcaster Canal Plus Afrique.

    “I want to help the team with goals of course, but if I am not scoring I am defending. If I am not defending I am fighting for them.

    “I just want my team to be in the right mentality to win this tournament.

    “It is a big prize for us, as an individual and also as a country.

    ” So I think we have the right mentality to make sure we bring the trophy home.”

    Nigeria is now set to play in a semifinal in Bouake next Wednesday, where they will play either Cape Verde or South Africa.

    They are still on course to win a fourth continental championship, their first since 2013.

    “We had to make sure we went into the competition with the right mentality,” added Osimhen, who was substituted in stoppage time after taking several knocks over the course of the match.

    “We have the quality, we have the squad to win games and to reach the final for me.”

    The former England Under-21 international Lookman, a forward for Atalanta, has taken the spotlight away from Osimhen with his winner against Angola, having previously scored both goals in the team’s 2-0 elimination of Cameroon in the round of 16.

    Osimhen, on the other hand, has not scored since Nigeria’s first-leg 1-1 tie with Equatorial Guinea.

  • Man of the match award excites Simon

    Man of the match award excites Simon

    By Taofeek Babalola, Abidjan

    Super Eagles winger Moses Simon emerged the Man-of-the-match in yesterday’s last Group A match against Guinea Bissau.

    Super Eagles defeated the Wild Dogs 1-0 to progress to the round of 16 and the Nantes of France winger was adjudged as the best player during the game today.

    Moses replaced Atalanta of Italy forward Ademola Lookman in the starting lineup in the game and the 28-year-old justified his inclusion in the team with his performance.

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    Speaking about the award during the press conference, Simon said he was delighted to win the award, stressing that he will do more to help the team to win more games in the tournament.

    He added that winning matches with the team is more important to him than the individual award.

    “It was important victory for us today and we are ready to continue doing best in the tournament. We had a game plan and we are happy that we made it to the next round. We will work hard for the next game. I am happy for the award but it is more of the team winning than individual award. Our target is to go far in the tournament,” Simon said.

  • Moses Simon’s late assist gives Nantes 1-0 victory over Montpellier

    SUPER Eagles’ winger Moses Simon who came off the bench to score on his debut for the club last weekend away at Amiens, giving his club FC Nantes a win at home, has continued where he stopped this weekend.

    Moses Simon continued his bright start in the French Ligue 1 as his assist fetched FC Nantes their first home win of the season with a 1-0 win over Montpellier.

    Both teams went goalless into the break as they both failed to produce any moment of excitement for their fans in the first 45 minutes. FC Nantes, however, broke their visitors’ resistance just six minutes away from time with the pacey Simon finding his way down the flanks to set up French midfielder Abdoulaye Toure, who then beat a marker to find the back of the net, securing all three points of the match.

    It appears the 24-year-old pacey winger is fully settled in his new environment with these impressive performances in his first two appearances for his club side.