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Holly Moses: Simon drives Nigeria crazy at African Championship Israel today

2022-01-19T09:07:14.607Z


His father pressured him to leave football and enlist in the army, but believe us: Moses Simon, a player from French Nantes, contributes to Nigeria much more through football • He is 80 percent accurate with dedication, creates situations, scores goals and is endlessly involved in the national team attacking game, Approaching by a huge step to the eighth African Championship • Tonight Guinea Bissau awaits him


The 0-1 win over Egypt in the first round of the home leg of the African Championship was described by Moses Simon as "one of my best games in recent years."

Nigeria’s extremist really was excellent that evening.

He was placed on the left side of the Nigerian attack, miserable the Egyptian defenders with tremendous ball control and dizzying speed, and was the one who started the move that led to the victory goal of Kalchi Ihanchu.

In the next game, against Sudan, Moses even surpassed himself.

He scored the third goal in a 1: 3 victory that ensured promotion to the next round, completed eight successful dribbles and was named man of the match.

According to many, as of this stage Simon is one of the standouts in the entire tournament and the one who can take Nigeria up to the first win in the tournament since 2013.

For Nigerians, Simon's ability in a tournament in Cameroon is a direct continuation of what he has been demonstrating in Nantes for the past two and a half years.

Since arriving in France in August 2019, the Nigerian has scored 17 goals in all competitions and is at the top of the indices when it comes to personal actions.

He is fourth in the table of cooks with six such, fourth in creating dangerous situations, third in key dedication and fifth in dangerous dedication inside the opponent’s court.

Simon in French Nantes uniform, Photo: Reuters

Looking at his stats from the games against Egypt and Sudan, one realizes that Simon continues to do his part in the continental championship just as he does in France. He is 80 percent accurate with dedication, creates situations, scores goals and is endlessly involved in the attacking game. He is also much less accurate in wide lifts, loses a lot of balls and sometimes looks scattered, but his essence is the same and clear: he drives the defensive players crazy. JJ Okocha, a former star of the team and now a commentator, defined Simon at the end of the victory over Egypt: "He is naughty. It is true that he is not the most accurate in his elevations, but he always creates chaos in defense and for me he is the man of the match."

Once upon a time, Simon was hardly a part of the game.

When he was a boy, his father pressured him to leave football and enlist in the army claiming that few Nigerian boys manage to turn football into a profession.

The mother insisted that Simon do what made him happy, and despite his father's opposition he eventually chose a football school over the military.

He started his career at the local GBS Academy, where he began a very tortuous journey.

First, Simon was called up for tests at the Dutch Ajax.

He impressed and even scored a few goals in pre-season and reserve games.

He has reportedly already signed a preliminary contract, but in the end nothing came out;

"I was young and really wanted to play in a big and well-known European club," said the player, "but my agent thought differently and because of financial matters it did not materialize."

Instead of Ajax, Simon had to make the European breakthrough farthest away - in the Slovak Trencin.

"It was very cold, but I had no choice but to try and make an effort and succeed there."

And he succeeded.

His compatriot Kingsley Mado has made acclimatization easier, and this is reflected with a hat-trick already in his European debut.

In the year he spent in Slovakia Simon scored 17 goals in all competitions and the jump was not long in coming.

In 2015, he signed for Ghent, Belgium, where he played for three years and won the championship and the Super Cup, where he scored the winning goal against Club Brugge.

Rumors linked him to clubs in England, but the next stop was actually to the Spanish Bante who in the media spent one less successful season at the end of which landed in Nantes.

At first he came on loan to the French team, but last season he was acquired and signed a four-year contract.

He started the current season lame like his entire team, but in recent weeks has returned to showcase his tremendous ability in the wing.

"He is a true champion," his coach Antoine Comboara complimented him before heading to the African Championships, "I hope we can do without him."

Simon, Photo: AFP

Meanwhile, Nantes' two games without him ended in a draw and a loss.

And just as his disadvantage in the team stands out, so does his presence on the team.

Simon missed the 2018 World Cup due to injury and at the 2019 Championship was a sub-player on Nigeria’s journey to the semi-finals.

Granot Rohr, who coached the team from 2016 until recently, said this week that many in the country required him not to invite Simon to the team because he had never realized his potential in the national uniform.

"I was asked to give it up, but I always believed in him and his abilities."

About a month ago Rohr left, and his temporary replacement Agustin Aguabouan managed to get Simon out of things that no one else had.

"Every coach with his method," the extreme week said, "but the current coach gives me the freedom to be who I am."

In the meantime, it works great.

Nigeria presents the most beautiful football in the tournament and Simon is its highlight.

"We want to win the tournament," he declared ahead of tonight's match against Guinea Bissau, "last time we were stopped in the semi-finals and now I feel we have everything it takes to win."  

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Source: israelhayom

All sports articles on 2022-01-19

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