Super Eagles winger Moses Simon made a second-half appearance for Nantes, but his presence was not enough to prevent a 1-0 defeat to Strasbourg at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday.
Felix Lemarechal netted the decisive goal in the 79th minute, securing a crucial victory for the visitors and deepening Nantes' woes.
The defeat means Nantes have won just once in their last five matches and remain 14th in the Ligue 1 standings with 24 points from 25 games.
Simon, a key figure for Nantes, was surprisingly left out of the starting XI by manager Antoine Kambouare and introduced in the 71st minute, replacing Mostafa Mohamed. However, his presence had little impact as Nantes succumbed to defeat.
Moses Simon's impact off the bench not enough as Nantes suffer defeat
Moses Simon showcased his attacking intent, completing two successful dribbles out of five attempts and delivering two key passes. He had 21 touches and maintained a perfect passing accuracy of 100% (5/5), while also providing two accurate crosses from six attempts.
Simon battled hard, winning three out of seven ground duels, but also lost possession eight times. He was fouled once and committed a foul of his own in what was a frustrating evening for Nantes.
The 29-year-old has been a key figure for Nantes this season, featuring in 23 Ligue 1 matches, 22 of them as a starter. He has found the net six times and provided multiple assists while averaging 80 minutes per game.
Recently, he has been linked with a summer exit from Nantes, with Serie A side AS Roma reportedly showing strong interest in securing his services.
