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Lorient star Moffi inspired by Osimhen in debut Ligue 1 campaign
The Nigerian forward is having a remarkable maiden outing in the French top-flight with his return in front of goal
Lorient striker Terem Moffi has stated he is motivated by Victor Osimhen’s feat in the French Ligue 1 after scoring eight goals in his debut season so far.
The Nigerian forwards enjoyed similar paths after their initial meeting in the country's U17 set-up, with stints in the Belgian First Division A before they moved to France.
Osimhen left his mark in Ligue 1 with 13 goals in the 2019-20 campaign – the goalscoring exploits earned him the Prix Marc-Vivien Foe before he switched to Italian Serie A club Napoli last August.
Despite being Lorient's top scorer this season, Moffi disclosed he did not set a personal target for himself this term
"We played together in the U17s, I've known him for a couple of years," the Nigerian star told the Ligue 1 website. "He's a good guy, he's been good to me on so many occasions so it's like 'this guy, you have to follow his progress, you have to learn from him'.
“If he can do it in Belgium, why can't I do it in Belgium, he did it in France, why can't you do it in France as well you understand? So it's motivation for me, yes!"
"As a matter of fact I didn't set targets for this season," Moffi concluded. "I was like 'go, give your best' but now I think I have surpassed what I was expecting so I just want to continue this way and whatever God says happens, happens. No pressure, just do!"
Moffi is among the seven players on the Super Eagles’ stand-by list for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho next week.
The 21-year-old recalled his meeting with Jay-Jay Okocha and his admiration for the ex-Paris Saint Germain star.
He said: "I met him, and he told me 'football is easy, you don't have to do too much. Just be you, enjoy yourself! He was a fantastic dribbler, when I was younger I used to watch his videos like step-overs and crossovers, it was really a big part of my game but now I'm kind of direct except when I'm in a tight situation I try to dazzle my way through!"
Earlier this year, Moffi scored a late match-winning goal that helped Lorient edge PSG in a thrilling five-goal Ligue 1 game at the Stade du Moustoir.
