Nigeria international Moses Simon will play no part in the remainder of the 2023/24 season after suffering a serious injury in Tuesday’s international friendly against Mali.
The 28-year-old was named in interim head coach Finidi George’s starting line-up for the game against the Eagles, having come off the bench in last Friday’s win over rivals Ghana.
Moses repaid George’s faith in him by making a bright start to the game against Mali, coming within a good first touch away from breaking the deadlock when he was put through on goal by Alex Iwobi.
However, the Nantes winger’s night came to an abrupt end after just 30 minutes when he had to be substituted after an injury, leaving his international teammates worried.
Simon went down clutching his knees following a nasty clash with Mali goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa. The Super Eagles forward needed immediate medical attention, as he was visibly in excruciating pain after colliding with the shot-stopper.
Simon stretchered off in tears against Mali
After being examined by paramedics on the pitch, Simon was stretchered off the field, which indicated how serious the injury was.
The former Gent and Levante forward left the pitch in tears and was seen being consoled by his teammates and coaches as he was being stretchered off.
Despite replacing Simon with Cyriel Dessers after the former’s injury, Nigeria failed to build on the momentum garnered from their impressive victory over Ghana, which saw them end a run of 18 years without a win over the Black Stars.
George’s side could not trouble their opponents enough as they fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Mali. The Super Eagles failed to take the half chances that came their way despite enjoying 59 per cent of the possession and were ultimately made to pay for it.
El Bilal Toure put the Eagles in the lead after 18 minutes following a smart finish before Kamory Doumbia wrapped up a deserved victory for Eric Chelle’s side with another well-taken goal in the 87th minute.
Nantes confirm Moses Simon has been ruled out for the rest of the season
Meanwhile, Ligue 1 side Nantes have confirmed that Simon has been ruled out for the rest of the 2023/23 league campaign.
The French club said the diagnosis of the winger’s injury against Mali showed he had suffered from a fractured fibula, which means he will not be able to play again this season. In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Nantes wished the forward a speedy recovery in the wake of the devastating injury news.
“We are all with you Moses. Moses Simon was injured yesterday against Mali. Our Nigerian striker suffers from a fractured fibula which means the end of the season. Get well soon Moses Simon,” the club wrote on their official page.
The latest update also means Simon now faces a race against time to be fit for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June. The Super Eagles, who are winless in their opening two qualifying games, have a crucial clash against South Africa on June 3 in Abuja before taking on Benin seven days later.
Fibular injuries averagely take at least 18 weeks to heal, as per the National Institutes of Health, which suggests Simon is likely to be ruled out for the next four and a half months. Injuries of such nature are also often tricky, with the risk of a complication high among footballers.
With the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to resume in June, it’s increasingly looking like Simon will not be able to recover in time to participate in Nigeria’s games against South Africa and Benin.
