Moses Simon at 100: One Hundred Times Nigeria Called— One Hundred Ti.es He Wore The Green And White — Mr 100

𝐁𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐎𝐤𝐨𝐤𝐮

Some milestones count appearances. Others measure 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲.

For 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧, 100 appearances for the Super Eagles represent all four.

On 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, at the 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐤𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦 in Uyo, Simon came off the bench during Nigeria’s 2–1 victory over Madagascar in the opening match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign and entered one of the most exclusive rooms in Nigerian football history.

He became only the 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, joining 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐚, 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐚, 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐛𝐨 and 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐈𝐰𝐨𝐛𝐢.

𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄

Simon’s journey began on 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓, when, at just 19, he made his senior international debut against Uganda.

Since then, coaches have changed. Teammates have come and gone. Qualification campaigns have brought celebration and disappointment. Yet Simon remained.

Before reaching his century, he had scored 12 goals for Nigeria, appeared in 64 competitive internationals and 35 friendlies, including 23 Africa Cup of Nations finals matches and 22 World Cup qualifiers.

He was part of Nigeria’s bronze-medal team at the 2019 AFCON, helped the Super Eagles reach the 2023 AFCON final, and continued serving through the highs and lows that international football inevitably brings.

His club journey has taken him through AS Trenčín, Gent, Nantes and now Paris FC, but wherever professional football carried him, the call of Nigeria continued to bring him home.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁

One hundred international appearances do not happen by accident.

They demand talent, certainly. But talent alone is not enough.

There must also be 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦. 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. The trust of successive coaches. The willingness to travel thousands of miles when summoned. And, above all, the desire to keep answering when your country calls.

Simon has done that for more than eleven years.

That service also carried another honour: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝.

On 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑, Simon captained the Super Eagles against Zimbabwe in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The journey had come a long way.

From a 19-year-old making his international debut to a player trusted to 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 onto the field.

It was more than another appearance.

It was 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭.

It was 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.

It was 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩.

The significance becomes clearer when we remember how few Nigerians have reached this mountain. Generations of extraordinary internationals have worn the green and white. Only five have crossed 100.

Now 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧 belongs among them.

𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒

A winger may begin his journey with speed. But speed alone cannot carry a footballer through eleven years of international football.

Something deeper must take over.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.

One cap became ten.

Ten became fifty.

Fifty became ninety-nine.

Then Nigeria called again.

And 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧 answered again.

The boy who first stepped onto the international stage in 2015 is now a 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐠.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲.

𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚.

Congratulations, 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧.

You have not merely worn the shirt.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.