Super Eagles star Terem Moffi has been placed on sick leave after being assaulted by angry Nice supporters following the club’s 3-1 loss to Lorient over the weekend.
According to ESPN, the incident occurred late Sunday night when the team returned to the club’s training complex. Around 400 Ultras reportedly gathered to confront players as they stepped off the team bus.
Moffi was among those targeted, reportedly having his hair pulled and being kicked during the confrontation, leaving him sidelined for a week. Teammate Jérémie Boga also suffered injuries and has been signed off for five days. Both players filed formal complaints with the local police on Monday.
Nice issued a strong statement condemning the incident: “The excesses we saw during this gathering are unacceptable,” the club said, adding that they “condemn these acts with the highest toughness.”
The defeat in Brittany marked Nice’s sixth consecutive loss across all competitions, further intensifying tensions around the club.
Meanwhile, in England, Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche confirmed that Nigerian duo Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi will miss Wednesday’s Premier League clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
Aina has been sidelined since limping off early in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against South Africa in September. His hamstring injury has kept him out for sixteen matches in all competitions, and he is only expected to return in the new year. Registration rules mean he cannot play in the Premier League or Europa League until the January transfer window.
Awoniyi also remains unavailable due to a muscular issue, ruling him out of a third consecutive league match and adding to Dyche’s fitness concerns ahead of the trip to the Midlands.
Dyche provided a squad update, saying: “It’s better news. Not everyone’s quite fit yet, but a few are back on the grass training, which is a good start. The ones left not with us yet are Taiwo, Wood and Douglas, although getting closer.”
He added that Aina is progressing in his recovery but will not be available until January. “Ola Aina is getting close to fitness, but obviously can’t be with us until January,” Dyche explained.
Aina’s extended absence leaves Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle facing a difficult decision regarding the defender’s potential involvement in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
