By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria winger Moses Simon has underlined the importance of Saturday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda, insisting that a win is the only acceptable outcome for Nigeria.
Speaking to ESPN, the Paris FC forward stressed that excuses will not be entertained, urging every player to take full responsibility and step up to deliver victory in Uyo.
“We just have to win, there are no excuses, we don’t care we just want to win,” Simon declared.
“If you know anything you can do to make us win, do it. If you feel you’re better than who the coach wants to put, it is easy, speak to the coach. If you feel that if you go into the pitch, you will score five goals, it is easy, just say it.”
The former Nantes attacker also praised head coach Eric Chelle, crediting him for reigniting the hunger and competitive spirit within the squad.
“He’s trying to push, he never gives up and he’s trying to inspire the boys tonight no matter what, which for me is one of the things we need because the old national players then, they all fight.
“Not fight on the pitch, they fight to play, they fight for the shirt, they fight for the badge, which for me he is really good for the players and also he is good for the nation,” he added.
Simon, who recently joined Paris FC and has already netted two goals for the Ligue 2 club, is expected to be a key attacking outlet for Nigeria when they face the Amavubi of Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
