Super Eagles winger Moses Simon found the net for Nantes, but it was Timothée Pembélé who had the final say as Le Havre secured a dramatic 3-2 victory at the Stade Océane on Sunday.
Abdoulaye Touré put the hosts ahead twice, converting penalties in the 13th and 27th minutes, with Nantes initially responding through an equaliser from Saidou Sow in the 23rd minute before Simon struck in the 48th minute to make it 2-2.
However, just when it seemed both sides would settle for a point, Pembélé delivered a stoppage-time winner to hand Le Havre all three points and deepen Nantes’ relegation worries.
With this result, Antoine Kombouaré’s side remains 13th in the standings, holding 27 points from 27 games, as their battle for survival continues.
Mixed performance: Simon scores but struggles in possession against Le Havre
Despite finding the net, Moses Simon endured a challenging outing against Le Havre, with his overall performance reflecting a mix of attacking intent and inefficiency in possession.
The Super Eagles forward registered one shot on target, which resulted in his goal, and had one shot blocked. However, he managed just one successful dribble from seven attempts and completed 13 of his 18 passes (72% accuracy).
The 29-year-old also contributed one key pass and delivered two accurate crosses from 10 attempts, but he lost possession 21 times and won only four of his 11 ground duels. Fouled three times throughout the contest, Simon’s effort was evident, but his influence was somewhat limited as Nantes fell to a late defeat.
Simon has been a key figure for Nantes in Ligue 1 this season, featuring in 25 matches, where he has registered seven goals and eight assists. He has also been a consistent presence on the pitch, averaging 81 minutes per game.
