Moses Simon avoids relegation as Moffi finishes above Messi on Ligue 1 scorer’s chart

Super Eagles forward Moses Simon and his Nantes teammates avoided relegation to Ligue 2 after securing a final-day win over bottom side Angers in Ligue 1. 

Les Canaris were on the verge of relegation going into the last game of the season after dropping to 17th on the table thanks to a 14-game stretch without a win in the league but were spared the shame of being relegated to Ligue 2 after they overcame Angers in a slender 1-0 win. 

A goal in the 16th minute from forward Ignatius Ganago was all that separated both sides on the night, and it was enough to save Nantes from going down. 

Simon’s side were also saved by the fact that Auxerre lost 3-1 to Lens, as Les Canaris’ better result pushed AJA into the relegation zone. 

After weeks of anxiety, Nantes can finally rest easy after confirming that they will be one of the 18 teams featuring in next season’s Ligue 1. 

In other Ligue 1 action, Super Eagles striker Terem Moffi ended a superb league season on a high, scoring on the final day of the season to help OGC Nice to a 3-1 win over Lyon. 

Moffi scored a total of 18 league goals in the 2022/23 season across Lorient and Nice and finished ninth in the top scorers’ chart, above Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi, in a historic season for Ligue 1 strikers. 

As many as six Ligue 1 strikers scored 20 or more goals for the first time in Ligue 1 history, and although Moffi narrowly missed out on joining them, he will celebrate setting a new personal record for goals in Ligue 1, with his previous highest tally for goals coming in his first season in France, where he scored 14 league goals.