Super Eagles winger Moses Simon continued his impressive form for Nantes as they played out a 1-1 draw against Angers SCO in a Ligue 1 clash at the Stade Raymond Kopa. The Nigerian forward was instrumental in Nantes taking the lead early in the game, but Angers hit back with a penalty to force a share of the spoils.
Nantes opened the scoring in the 17th minute, thanks to Simon’s creative brilliance. The 29-year-old set up Johann Lepenant, who calmly finished from close range with a right-footed shot into the bottom corner. Nantes looked to be in control but soon found themselves pegged back. A penalty was awarded to Angers in the 21st minute after a foul by Jean-Charles Castelletto, which was confirmed following a VAR review. Himad Abdelli converted the spot-kick, leveling the match at 1-1.
The rest of the match saw both sides fight for dominance, but neither could find the winning goal. Simon had a few moments of brilliance, including a blocked shot from outside the box, but Angers stood firm to keep the game level.
Moses Simon's stats in the clash against Angers
Simon played the entire 90 minutes and was pivotal to Nantes’ attacking efforts. He made 55 touches and completed 22 out of 29 passes, achieving a 76% pass accuracy. The Nigerian winger contributed three key passes and attempted eight crosses, with two finding their target.
Although he managed only one shot on target and had one blocked, Simon was highly effective in taking on defenders, completing five of seven dribbles. Defensively, he was robust, winning eight of his 12 ground duels.
Simon’s performance continues to demonstrate his importance to Nantes, having now recorded two goals and two assists in five Ligue 1 matches this season.
