Moses Simon, the awakening of the Nigerian rocket from Nantes

Transparent for almost a year, Nigerian Nantes striker Moses Simon has found his fiery legs again. A factor in the revival of the game of the Canaries, ninth in Ligue 1 before the reception of Montpellier on Sunday.

On the pitch in poor condition of Clermont during the fifth day of the championship, the pocket winger **Nigerian -**1m68 - had unblocked the situation with a precise lob to snatch the first victory of the season for FC Nantes after two defeats and two draws.

“A real inspiration”, greeted his coach **Pierre Aristouy **after the meeting, in tune with Simon 's teammates , unanimously admiring his performance. “He is someone extraordinary, very pleasant to live with, who is a great professional and who certainly realized that his last season was mixed,” however added the Nantes coach, as a form of 'warning.

Because the 28-year-old striker, whom Antoine Kombouaré compared to a "rocket", experienced a ten-month drought, an eternity for a player with obvious talent: he no longer found the net with the FC Nantes since November 13, 2022 and the reception of Ajaccio .

Deprived of a goal, Moses Simon had for several months been only the shadow of the will-o'-the-wisp loaned by Levante in 2019, and whose thunderous debut had allowed him to quickly sign a contract with the Yellow and Green club.

An irregularity that has become a trademark: since these tempting beginnings, Moses Simon has often experienced ups and down seasons. Systematically scoring 5 to 6 goals per season in the league, he has never managed to be consistent for more than a few months, with a series of shortcomings, to the point of being announced several times at the start.

Finally remaining in Nantes, the twirling winger finally seems to flourish wonderfully in the ambitious game that Aristouy offers, materialized by 14 goals in 8 games, as many as Rennes or Reims , only PSG and Monaco doing better.

Sparkling in Strasbourg

In this football of movement, with numerous projections, Simon stands out thanks to his speed and his percussion, with two goals and three assists.

The statistics don't do full justice to his excellent start to the season. During Nantes' great victory in Strasbourg (2-1) before the international break, he made all the right moves, winning all his duels.

It was from one of his crosses that Marcus Coco 's first goal came , the deflection of a Strasbourg defender preventing him from officially being awarded an assist. And it was again the Nigerian international who, with his head, found the post a few minutes later, before Samuel Moutoussamy catapulted the ball into the back of the net a little later.

Simon's time in Nantes could be numbered: at the end of his contract in June 2024, and still not extended, the striker has never hidden his dream of playing in England.

Author of a penalty goal on Monday with Nigeria in a friendly match against Mozambique (3-2 victory), the international with 58 caps will have the opportunity to showcase himself during the African Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire. d'Ivoire (January 13 - February 11).