Moses Simon was once again on the scoresheet for FC Nantes, but his efforts were not enough to prevent a 3-2 loss to Le Havre in their Ligue 1 clash at Stade Océane on Sunday.
The match began with an early breakthrough for Le Havre, as Abdoulaye Touré found the back of the net in the 12th minute to give the hosts the lead.
Nantes responded well and eventually pulled level in the 35th minute when Mostafa Mohamed finished off a well-worked team move.
However, just before the break, Touré struck again, this time heading in from a corner in the 42nd minute to restore Le Havre’s advantage.
After halftime, Nantes wasted no time in searching for another equalizer, and Simon delivered in the 49th minute.
Matthis Abline played a precise pass into the box, allowing the Nigerian winger to control the ball before calmly slotting it past the goalkeeper to make it 2-2.
Simon’s goal was his seventh of the season, and with eight assists to his name, he has now been directly involved in more than half of Nantes’ league goals this campaign.
His consistency has been one of the few positives in what has been a challenging season for the Canaries.
Despite their fightback, Nantes could not hold on for a point. In the 88th minute, Le Havre secured the win when Timothée Pembélé, on loan from Sunderland, fired home his first Ligue 1 goal to make it 3-2.
Nantes had no time to recover, and the final whistle confirmed another disappointing result.
With three losses in their last five league matches, Nantes remain in 13th place, while Le Havre continue their fight for survival in 16th.
For Simon, the defeat comes shortly after Nigeria’s frustrating 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
While his club and national team have struggled for consistency, his individual performances continue to shine, keeping hopes alive for a stronger finish to the season.
