I lost a brother, two sisters – Moses Simon recalls tough childhood

Nantes winger Moses Simon has revealed a difficult part of his childhood while growing up in Jos, Nigeria, Soccernet.ng reports.

In an interview with L’Equipe via Tribune Nantais, Simon confessed that he grew up in a large household as his parents had ten children, and he was the ninth.

The Super Eagles forward, however, recalled that it was not always all joy and no sadness, as he lost three of his siblings before he came of age.

Simon noted that one of his brothers died of an unnamed ailment while two of his sisters lost their lives as they were trying to deliver their own babies.

The former Gent star was among those who survived, and despite being a good scholar, he decided to be a professional footballer when his father wanted him to be a medical doctor or a soldier.

“At my house, there were ten children in total, three boys and seven girls. I am the ninth,” Simon said.

“There are only 7 of us left; one of my brothers died of an illness, and two of my sisters while giving birth to their child. I was a good student; that’s why my father saw me as a soldier or a doctor. But I chose a high school where we played football.”

Now aged 28, Simon has played in Trencin, Levante, Gent, and Nantes, winning trophies with the Belgian and French sides.

He helped Gent to win the Belgian Pro League and the Super Cup in 2015 while he was a key member of the Nantes squad that lifted the Coupe de France last year.

The exciting winger has also been one of the first names on the Super Eagles team list for the past few years and was in the Nigerian team that won a bronze medal at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.