PROFILE | Moses Simon rediscovers his best form in struggling Nantes side | OneFootball

Nantes winger Moses Simon has joined the Nigerian national team as the Super Eagles gear up their preparations to tackle the Ivory Coast-hosted AFCON this January. Simon links up with Nigeria’s fearsome forward line, with the likes of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, AC Milan’s Samuel Chukwueze or Atalanta Bergamo’s Ademola Lookman.

The 28-year-old’s spot in such an esteemed company owes nothing to chance. Simon has lit up Nantes’ attacking right flank in the first half of the Ligue 1 season. The Nigerian winger has nearly matched in only five months his tally of goal contributions of last season (nine). With three goals and five assists, Simon is the most potent attacking player for Les Canaris.

At the turn of the year 2023, Simon was the shadow of the player he used to be. Now, he has found that yard of space back that allows him to turn on the afterburners. He is the fourth fastest player in Ligue 1 after being clocked at 35.97 km/h. Despite a predictable style of play based on speed and dribbling, Simon keeps on performing, proving to be of great help to his teammates. “He makes a difference for us. By taking the ball high on the field, he allows us to catch our breath”, lauded Nantes skipper Pedro Chirivella to Ouest-France. “When he’s performing at this level, he’s very hard to stop.”

Rewarded with a contract extension

Simon’s confidence was on show when scoring his first goal of the season. The Nigerian winger caught Clermont goalkeeper Mory Diaw with a delightful long-range chip. Thanks to this stroke of genius, Nantes sealed their first win of the campaign. The former Gent winger doubled down the following week by claiming three goal contributions in Nantes’ spectacular 5-3 home win against Lorient.

With Simon entering his final contract year and rival Ligue 1 clubs circling for his signing, Nantes decided to make the winger’s renewal a priority. It has been reported that Les Canaris have agreed to make Simon one of the highest earners in the team. Simon put pen to paper over a contract renewal until 2026. Nantes will sorely miss his trademark bursts of pace in the coming weeks.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval