Nigeria Super Eagles striker Terem Moffi scored in the second half to help his side Nice collect their first three points of the new Ligue 1 season with a 2-0 win over Strasbourg, www.aclsports.com reports.
It has been a torrid start to the season for Les Aiglons having played three straight draws going into this game, while Moffi has not found the back of the net for Nice since the final day of last season. But all of that came to an end on Sunday courtesy of a comfortable win at Allianz Riviera.
It took a while for the home side to get going but when they did, the visitors’ goalkeeper Matz Sels produced a reflex save to tip Terem Moffi’s attempt into the side netting, after a nutmeg and flash of pace opened up enough space for the chance.
As the game went on, it was the Belgian stopper against the home side, but he was almost culpable for the opener later in the half. However, he could only parry a fierce shot into the path of on-rushing Morgan Sanson but the midfielder couldn’t set himself up properly, and his effort cracked the outside of the post.
Basically, the visitors offered little in attack to punish that miss though, and they rightly went behind shortly before HT. Youcef Atal was allowed time and space to cut inside onto his unfavoured left foot, and he produced a perfectly curled effort to leave Sels hapless. Moffi was quite a handful in the opening half but could not get his own goal.
After the break, Moffi’s Nice struggled to find that elusive second goal to put the game beyond Le RCS. A big chance came their way after the hour mark when the impressive Moffi was played through on goal, but Sels was able to get a fingertip to his dinked effort and it was enough to take the ball away from goal.
Moffi was a constant menace to the Strasbourg defence with his pace and deservedly got his goal with 15 minutes to go. A long ball from Jean-Clair Todibo released the striker into the channel before he breezed past three defenders and produced a simple finish with the outside of his left foot to seal the points for his side.
The result leaves Moffi’s side Nice level on six points in the top half of the table with their opponents for now as we head into the first international break of the new season.
Meanwhile, Moffi has not been called up for the final AFCON qualifying game against Sao Tome & Principe in Uyo next Sunday owing to his slow start to the season but he will be pleased with his first goal in four games.
