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Tag: Moses Simon

  • AFCON 2023:Super Eagles ready to take on any opponent – Moses Simon

    AFCON 2023:Super Eagles ready to take on any opponent – Moses Simon

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Monday night secured automatic qualification following their 1-0 victory against the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Monday night.

    Opa Sangate diverted Aina’s  cross into his own net in the 36th minute if the encounter to give Super Eagles the win.

    The Super Eagles will face the second-place team in Group F in the Round of 16, which is likely to be either Cameroon or Guinea,

    After emerging as man of the match in yesterday’s game, Moses Simon has now said that the team is not afraid to take on any opponent.

    “It was a good win for us. To make it from the group was a good one for us, “Simon told a press conference in Abidjan.

    “We are not thinking about the opponent we will be facing in the next round. I can’t even say we have any preference for a team we want to face.

    “We have to be ready for all opposition if we want to win the title. Any team that we draw in the next round, we are ready for them and all other teams too.”

  • AFCON 2023 Race: Simon, Ndidi, Iheanacho early birds in Super Eagles’ camp

    AFCON 2023 Race: Simon, Ndidi, Iheanacho early birds in Super Eagles’ camp

    Wing impresario Moses Simon will be one of the early birds at the Super Eagles’ John Woods Hotel abode as invited begin to stream in for the quickfire double 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Guinea Bissau’s Djurtus.

    Simon, who plays for FC Nantes of France, will arrive on Sunday alongside TSG Hoffenheim of Germany defender Kevin Akpoguma. Leicester City of England duo Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho are also expected in town the same day.

    The ambipedal Simon, one of the longest-serving players in the team, is expected to play a key role in the two games that could see the Super Eagles snatch an early ticket to the 34th AFCON finals in Cote d’Ivoire early next year.

    Akpoguma, who captained Germany at the FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand in 2015 before committing to Nigeria a few years, will be among the pillars at the rear.

    With six maximum points from their previous two matches, victory in the top-of-the-table clashes will see the three-time champions soar to 12 points and most probably in an unassailable position. Sierra Leone could earn six points in their clashes with Sao Tome and Principe, but that still keeps them on seven points, and the Super Eagles still have a home game against bottom-of-the-table Sao Tome and Principe on the final matchday of the campaign.

    Majority of the remaining 19 invited players are expected in Abuja on Monday.

  • Why I struggled with Moses Simon for Pepe’s jersey – Finidi

    Why I struggled with Moses Simon for Pepe’s jersey – Finidi

    Former Super Eagles Right winger and current assistant coach, Finidi George has stated reasons why he struggled with a player for Portugal’s defender Pepe’s shirt after the international friendly game with Portugal in Lisbon on Thursday.

    A video had surfaced online where Finidi was struggling with Moses Simon for Pepe’s jersey after  the Super Eagles 4-0 thrashing in Lisbon.

    Finidi was berated on social media platforms for struggling  for a jersey with a Super Eagles player.

    However, Finidi has now explained that his son had appealed to him to request for either of Ronaldo or Pepe’s Jersey because he’s a fan of both players.

    He said “My son asked me two weeks ago if it’s possible to get the shirt of Ronaldo or Pepe because he’s a very big fan of Real Madrid when they were at the club and I told him I will try.

    “Getting to the field, we knew Ronaldo wasn’t going to start because he was sick. So I told Pepe in the tunnel, please after the game, I would like to have the shirt for my son. So, he told me that was fine. After the game, I saw he was changing his shirt with one of the players and I went to remind him of what we said in the tunnel before the game started.”

    He said he was going to give his shirt to somebody else, a player, a Super Eagles player playing in his club (Porto), and that definitely, I will get the shirt. I was speaking Spanish with him and that was it.”

    Finidi wondered why many people were trying to make an issue where there was none. He said he has long gone beyond being star-struck and jostling for jerseys for his personal use.

    “People just want to twist things and the real reason for me. I’ve had many jerseys in my playing days and I don’t need Pepe’s shirt for myself. Where am I going to keep it? I don’t have a museum. It’s just that my son is a big fan and wanted me to ask …

  • Super Eagles’ duo missing as CAF releases final shortlist for men’s 2022 awards

    Super Eagles’ duo missing as CAF releases final shortlist for men’s 2022 awards

    Super Eagles’ duo of Moses Simon and Akinkunmi Amoo have failed to make the final list of nominees for the men’s categories of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards 2022.

    France-based Simon, who plays for FC Nantes, and Amoo of Danish side, FC Copenhagen, were the only Nigerians to make the first list released by CAF on June 30.

    However, when the final list was released on Monday, the two players were not part of the elite African performers in the last few months, who made the top list.

    Earlier, Simon was listed for the Player of the Year award, while Amoo was listed for the Young Player of the Year award.

    The CAF Awards 2022, will hold in Rabat, Morocco on July 21.

    A statement on the CAF website revealed that the star-studded final list of nominees for the men’s categories included Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Riyad Mahrez, as well as some of the elite performers in the last few months.

    The list included reigning CAF African Player of the Year, Sadio Mane (Senegal and Bayern Munich), former winner Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Manchester City), Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool) amongst others.

    One of the highly contested categories is that of the CAF Coach of the Year, where Aliou Cisse, Pitso Mosimane, Carlos Queiroz, Tom Saintfiet and Walid Regragui had made the final cut.

    The Player of the Year and Interclub Player of the Year had 10 nominees each, whist the Young Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year and Club of the Year had five nominees each.

    The winners of each category would be decided by a voting panel, made up of CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, Head Coaches, Captains of Member Associations and clubs involved at the group stage of the Interclub competitions for the 2021/2022 season.

    The full list of nominees (in alphabetical order by Member Association) Player of the Year (Men) includes Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Manchester City), Karl Toko Ekambi (Cameroon and Olympique Lyonnais), and Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon and Al Nassr).

    Others are Sebastien Haller (Cote D’Ivoire and Ajax), Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool), Naby Keita (Guinea and Liverpool), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain), Edouard Mendy (Senegal and Chelsea), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal and Napoli)

    Sadio Mane (Senegal and Bayern Munich) completed the list.

    For the Interclub Player of the Year (Men) are Tiago Azulao (Petro Atletico), Karim Konate (ASEC Mimosas), Aliou Dieng (Al Ahly), Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly), Percy Tau (Al Ahly), Mohamed Sherif (Al Ahly), Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly) and Achraf Dari (Wydad Athletic Club).

    Others are Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Athletic Club) and Zouheir El Moutaraji (Wydad Athletic Club)

    Listed for the Young Player of the Year (Men) are Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso and Lorient), Karim Konate (Cote D’Ivoire and ASEC/RB Salzburg),Kamaldeen Sulemana (Ghana and Rennes), Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Metz).

    Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia and Manchester United) completed the list.

    For the Coach of the Year (Men) category are; Carlos Queiroz (Egypt), Pitso Mosimane (Al Ahly),Tom Saintfiet (The Gambia), Walid Regragui (Wydad Athletic Club) and Aliou Cisse (Senegal).

    Listed for the National Team of the Year are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco and Senegal.

    For the Club of the Year are Petro Atletico (Angola), Al Ahly (Egypt), RS Berkane (Morocco), Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) and Orlando Pirates (South Africa).

  • Full list of nominees: Super Eagles players make first list for CAF Awards 2022

    Full list of nominees: Super Eagles players make first list for CAF Awards 2022

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday released the first list of nominees for the CAF Awards 2022 which will be held on July 21 in Rabat, Morocco.

    The list has Super Eagles and Nantes FC forward Moses Simon among the 30 players nominated for the Player of the Year Award.

    It also has Akinkunmi Amoo of FC Copenhagen among the 10 nominees for the Young (Male) Player of the Year Award.

    The revealed nominees are mainly for the Men’s categories, namely Player of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, National Team of the Year and Club of the Year.

    CAF however said in a statement that the nominees for the Women’s categories would be announced in due course.

    A stakeholder panel made up of Technical Experts, CAF Legends and Journalists decided on the list for the various categories.

    They were expected to have taken into the consideration the performance of the nominee from September 2021 till June at all levels.

    The winners of each category will be decided by a voting panel.

    The panel will have CAF Technical Committee members, media professionals, Head Coaches and Captains of Member-Associations and clubs involved at the group stage of the Interclub competitions.

    The CAF Awards 2022 will be held ahead of the final match of Africa’s flagship women’s competitions, Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

    The competition tagged “Morocco 2022” is holding from Saturday to July 23.

    Full List of Nominees (in alphabetic order by Member-Association):

    Player of the Year (Men)

    • Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Manchester City)
    • Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso and Aston Villa)
    • Blati Toure (Burkina Faso and Pyramids)
    • Edmund Tapsoba (Burkina Faso and Bayer Leverkusen)
    • Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon and Napoli)
    • Karl Toko Ekambi (Cameroon and Lyon)
    • Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon and Al Nassr)
    • Youssouf M’Changama (Comoros and Guingamp)
    • Franck Kessie (Cote d’Ivoire and AC Milan)
    • Sebastien Haller (Cote d’Ivoire and Ajax)
    • Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)
    • Mohamed ElNeny (Egypt and Arsenal)
    • Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)
    • Mohamed Shenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
    • Musa Barrow (Gambia and Bologna)
    • Naby Keita (Guinea and Liverpool)
    • Aliou Dieng (Mali and Al Ahly)
    • Hamari Traore (Mali and Rennes)
    • Yves Bissouma (Mali and Tottenham Hotspur)
    • Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain)
    • Sofiane Boufal (Morocco and Angers)
    • Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
    • Yassine Bounou (Morocco and Sevilla)
    • Moses Simon (Nigeria and Nantes)
    • Edouard Mendy (Senegal and Chelsea)
    • Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal and Napoli)
    • Nampalys Mendy (Senegal and Leicester City)
    • Sadio Mane (Senegal and Bayern Munich)
    • Saliou Ciss (Senegal and Nancy)
    • Ali Maaloul (Tunisia and Al Ahly)

    Interclub Player of the Year (Men)

    • Riad Benayad (ES Setif)
    • Tiago Azulao (Petro Atletico)
    • Karim Konate (ASEC Mimomas)
    • Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly)
    • Aliou Dieng (Al Ahly)
    • Mohamed Shenawy (Al Ahly)
    • Mohamed Sherif (Al Ahly)
    • Percy Tau (Al Ahly)
    • Morlaye Sylla (Horoya)
    • Achraf Dari (Wydad Athletic Club)
    • Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Athletic Club)
    • Zouhair El Moutaraji (Wydad Athletic Club)
    • Mouhcine Moutouali (Raja Club Athletic)
    • Issoufou Dayo (RS Berkane)
    • Youssou El Fahli (RS Berkane)
    • Victorien Adebayor (Niger and Union Sportive Gendarmerie Nationale)
    • Peter Shalulile (Mamelodi Sundowns)
    • Bandile Shandu (Orlando Pirates)
    • Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates)
    • Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Esperance Sportive de Tunis)

    Young Player of the Year (Men)

    • Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso and Lorient)
    • Karim Konate (Cote d’Ivoire and ASEC/RB Salzburg)
    • Jesus Owono (Equatorial Guinea and Alaves)
    • James Gomez (The Gambia and AC Horsens)
    • Kamaldeen Sulemana (Ghana and Rennes)
    • Ilaix Moriba Kourouma (Guinea and Valencia)
    • El Bilal Toure (Mali and Reims)
    • Akinkunmi Amoo (Nigeria and FC Copenhagen)
    • Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Metz)
    • Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia and Manchester United)

    Coach of the Year (Men)

    • Kamou Malo (Burkina Faso)
    • Amir Abdou (Comoros)
    • Carlos Quieroz (Egypt)
    • Pitso Mosimane (Al Ahly)
    • Tom Saintfiet (The Gambia)
    • Florent Ibenge (RS Berkane)
    • Vahid Halilhodzic (Morocco)
    • Walid Regragui (Wydad Athletic Club)
    • Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
    • Mandla Ncikazi (Orlando Pirates)

    National Team of the Year (Men)

    • Burkina Faso
    • Cameroon
    • Comoros
    • Egypt
    • Equatorial Guinea
    • The Gambia
    • Mali
    • Morocco
    • Senegal
    • Tunisia

    Club of the Year (Men)

    • ES Setif (Algeria)
    • Petro Atletico (Angola)
    • TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
    • Al Ahly (Egypt)
    • Ahli Tripoli (Libya)
    • Al Ittihad (Libya)
    • Raja Club Athletic (Morocco)
    • RS Berkane (Morocco)
    • Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)
    • Orlando Pirates (South Africa)

  • Super Eagles players Simon, Amoo make CAF awards shortlist

    Super Eagles  duo, of Moses Simon  of Nantes and Akinkunmi Amoo  of Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga  have been nominated for the CAF Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards respectively.

    CAF released the first list of nominees for the Men’s categories namely Player of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, National Team of the Year, and Club of the Year on Thursday.

    Simon has been shortlisted based on his good outing for Nigeria at AFCON 2021 held in Cameroon whilst Amoo stood out for Danish clubside Copenhagen.

    Simon popularly known as daddy amongst his peers  was formerly a Levante player, he  scored six goals and recorded eight assists in 30 league appearances for his present clubside  Nantes of France last season.

    He will battle the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Riyadh Mahrez, and co for the award.

    Amoo  on the other hand made the shortlist in the Young Player category after an impressive campaign for his Danish club, FC Copenhagen last season where the midfield prodigy shone like a million stars.

    The CAF Awards 2022 will be held ahead of the final of the African Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco and has been fixed to take place between 2 July – 23 July.

  • EPL: Leeds United set to hire Nigerian forward Victor Moses

    Leeds United are set to replace departing midfielder Raphinha with Nigerian forward Moses Simon popularly known as daddy.

    Although, Ligue 1 side Nice are also in the race to snap the Nigerian international from his present club Nantes.

    With Raphinha in talks with Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona, Leeds are already looking for his replacement.

    The Elland Road club is holding out for £65m for Raphinha and some of that income will be put back into the team.

    Nice have an agreement in place with Nantes. Exactly what that deal looks like is not revealed. But another English Premier League side Newcastle were reportedly ready to pay £17m and £100,000-a-week for Simon this summer.

    Simon, 26, is a Nigeria international, who can play all across the frontline. He is right footed, although he played the majority of last season on the left wing.

    The winger scored six goals and grabbed eight assists from 30 Ligue 1 games last season. And he looks like an option to replace Raphinha.

  • Moses Simon nominated for best African player award in France

    Moses Simon nominated for best African player award in France

    Super Eagles and Nantes of France winger, Moses Simon has been nominated for the best African player plying their trade in French clubsides.

    Simon was named among the twelve players on the final shortlist for the 2022 Marc-Vivien Foé Prize.

    The Marc-Vivien Foé award, named in honour of the player from Cameroon who died in 2003 at the age of 28, is given to the best player representing an African national football team in Ligue 1.

    Two Nigerians have previously won the awards in France, goalie Vincent Enyeama in 2014 and Victor Osimhen grabbed it in 2020.

    Gael Kakuta of the Democratic Republic of Congo clinched the award plaque in the season 2020/2021.

    Simon’s power play and work rate for French club Nantes this season has earned him a nomination for the best African player in France awards.

    Nantes FC are presently pushing for top 4 and a continental ticket in the French ligue 1.

  • EPL club offer Super Eagles star £100,000-a-week deal

    EPL club offer Super Eagles star £100,000-a-week deal

    Premier League club Newcastle are ready to hand Super Eagles star, Moses Simon, a £100,000-a-week contract to join them in the summer.

    According to OwnGoalNigeria, Newcastle have made Simon, who currently plays for Nantes in Ligue 1, their top priority ahead of next season.

    The Super Eagles star will cost the Magpies around £20million in transfer fees.

    But Newcastle are not deterred by the money involved in the deal, as they are very eager to bring in Simon.

    Nantes will also be ready to do business, despite blocking Simon from moving to Leeds United in the January window.

    The 26-year-old, who impressed for Nigeria at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, has scored twice and provided six assists in the French topflight this season.

  • AFCON: Buhari calls out Iheanacho, Simon in video chat with Super Eagles

    AFCON: Buhari calls out Iheanacho, Simon in video chat with Super Eagles

    President Muhamamadu Buhari on Sunday called the Super Eagles to charge them up as they play Tunisia in the second round of the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports President Buhari especially called out Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon in the video conference and told the team to ensure victory over Tunisia.

    Buhari also spoke with coach Augustine Eguavoen, Captain Ahmed Musa, Amaju Pinnick, President of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), and Nigerian Ambassador to Cameroon, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin (retd).

    He urged the Super Eagles to continue making Nigerians happy, not only by winning the second round match, but to eventually lift the trophy.

    “You’ve been doing Nigeria proud. You’ve been winning. Please keep on winning. The Federal Government is supporting you, and I say thank you to all the technical crew and the players.. Please keep doing the country proud,” Buhari said.

    The President applauded the good work being done by the Hon Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, saying the country appreciates it.

    Responding, Coach Eguavoen said; “We are so excited that His Excellency, President Buhari, has come to speak with us this morning. On behalf of the players and the technical crew, I want to say thank you very much sir.

    “The group stage has passed, and your speaking to us is a morale booster. Thank you for your support, Mr President, we also thank the Hon. Minister, and the NFF President. We are so privileged, and want to promise that you should just relax, we’ll come out victorious. We won’t let the nation down.”

    Ambassador Olonisakin said the over 4 million Nigerians living in Cameroon have been giving robust support to the Super Eagles since they arrived Garoua, Cameroon, on January 5, “and they will continue to do so.”

    Ahmed Musa, on behalf of the players, appreciated Mr President, noting that it is not easy to speak with the leader of a country, and they count themselves privileged.

    “We will make Nigeria proud, now that we have the blessings of the father of the nation,” Musa said.

    NFF President, Asaju Pinnick described the video conference as “a priceless privilege,” and thanked President Buhari and the nation at large for their prayers and support.

    He said under the current dispensation, Nigeria has won the Under 17 football tournament twice, “and we want to win the African Cup of Nations too.”