According to a recent report by French Ligue 1, Nigerian internationals Moses Simon and Terem Moffi have been listed among the top 10 fastest players in the French top-flight league.
Given Simon’s reputation for speed and skill, it is surprising to see Moffi on the list, as the former Lorient striker is more renowned for his strength and athleticism.
Clermont Foot’s defender Andy Pelmard (36.14 km/h) is first on the list, outpacing Olympique Marseille’s Jonathan Clauss (36.11 km/h) in second. Nantes forward Simon who has clocked 35.97 km/h this season is the joint third fastest player on the list alongside AS Monaco’s Folarin Balogun and Marseille’s Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
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Simon’s teammate Abdoul Kader Bamba is sixth after clocking (35.95 km/h). Despite being 32 years old, Brest’s Kenny Lala is seventh having clocked (35.94 km/h).
Paris Saint-Germain’s Ashraf Hakimi and Dutch-born player of Nigerian descent Emanuel Emegha clocked 35.90 km/h while Terem Moffi clocked 35.89 km/h to place 10th.
The list saw the notable exclusion of PSG forward Kylian Mbappe, who is widely regarded as one of the fastest players in the world. Mbappe has not yet reached his top speed this season due to injury.
Simon and Moffi’s speed has been a key asset to their teams this season. Simon has been one of the most exciting players to watch in Ligue 1, with his pace and trickery causing defenders all sorts of problems while Moffi has shown pace this season in nine games where he’s scored three goals while providing two assists in nine games.