Moses Simon: Nigeria’s Super Eagles Winger Tops Mbappe, Others on List of Europe’s Best Dribblers

Moses Simon: Nigeria’s Super Eagles Winger Tops Mbappe, Others on List of Europe’s Best Dribblers

Ero Samson
updated at February 20, 2024 at 2:38 PM
In this article:
CAF Africa Cup of Nations logo
CAF AFCON
Africa
Kylian Mbappé logo
K.Mbappé
Real Madrid logoFFrance logo
Nigeria logo
Nigeria
Nigeria
21
Super Eagles logo
Super Eagles
South Africa
Moses Simon logo
M. Simon
Nantes logoMNigeria logo
Nantes logo
Nantes
France
41
FC Barcelona logo
FC Barcelona
Spain
35
Lamine Yamal logo
L.Yamal
FC Barcelona logoFSpain logo
Jeremy Doku logo
J. Doku
Manchester City logoFBelgium logo
Manchester City logo
Manchester City
England
26
Leroy Sané logo
L. Sané
Bayern Munich logoFGermany logo
Bayern Munich logo
Bayern Munich
Germany
38
Sadio Mané logo
S. Mané
Al Nassr FC logoFSenegal logo
  • Moses Simon has been one of the Super Eagles' best players in recent years
  • The forward was instrumental in Jose Peseiro's team reaching the AFCON final
  • The Nantes star recently ranked high on a list of the best dribblers across Europe

Moses Simon has undoubtedly developed into an integral player both in the set-up of the Nigerian national team and his club side, FC Nantes.

The energetic attacker contributed immensely to Nigeria’s journey to the final at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

However, his stellar skills and performances appear to transcend his combative and energetic showing, which were essentially a prominent part of his display at the AFCON.

AFCON, Nigeria, Moses Simon, Nantes, Super Eagles
Moses Simon during the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final clash between Nigeria and South Africa. Image: Urik Pedersen.
Source: Getty Images

The Super Eagles star has been ranked amongst the players who have completed the most successful dribbles across Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Simon among Europe’s best dribblers

According to data courtesy of Sports analytics organisation, OptaJose, Simon was listed amongst the list of most efficient dribblers across Europe.

The 28-year-old ranked fourth behind Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku, and Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane.

The statistics further highlight Simon has completed over 55% of his attempted dribbles this season. This number puts him far above a flurry of individuals, including Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr and Paris-Saint Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, who have become synonymous with taking on defenders.

Nonetheless, it has to be highlighted that the Nigerian forward’s dribbling has often created goalscoring opportunities for Les Canaries, as he has contributed to seven goals in his 18 appearances so far this season.

Simon, who was named player of the match twice during the AFCON, currently holds the title of the best dribbler in Ligue 1. Nantes’ coach, Jocelyn Gourvennec, will hope the Nigerian can maintain his impressive form as they strive to move further away from the murky waters of relegation.

Bayern Munich star lauds Sadio Mane

Sports Brief in another report stated that Bayern Munich forward, Mathys Tel, has hailed Sadio Mane as the best player he has ever played with.

The Senegalese forward donned the jersey of the Bavarian club during the 2022/24 season; however, he was offloaded following a managerial upheaval at the Bundesliga club.

Mane was nonetheless involved in over 18 goals in his 38 appearances for the Munich-based club.

Authors
Ero Samson photo
Ero Samson
Samson Ero is a sports journalist with a track record of over five years in the Nigerian media industry. He graduated from Nigerian Institute of Journalism (2021-2023).