Moses Simon, new Levante forward and Super Eagles’ player has been speaking about how living and working in Europe has not robbed him of his taste for African delicacies, such as pounded yam and egusi soup.
One hundred and eight appearances for Belgium elite division club AAA Gent in three years are enough for Nigeria winger Moses Simon to warm his way into the hearts of fans.
Along the way, Simon, aka ‘daddy’, notched 21 goals with multiple assists.
The Super Eagles’ striker , who missed the Russia World Cup following an eleventh hour injury, said he would miss fans, managers, coaches and colleagues of ‘Buffalo’ as he moved on to greater things in the Spanish La liga with Levante.
“When I came to Gent I was a teenager and they took care of me,” recalled Simon with a sense of nostalgia. “I was taught the ropes in Belgium. They have great managers and coaches. We are a big family and I will miss Belgium. It is a great city.”
However, three seasons in Belgium could not erase some things that he had picked up from home.
“The food in Belgium is great but I never get around to it. I don’t eat it much. I go for the African food. It is not difficult to find African food because there is a lot of African kitchen and restaurants in Belgium. “Then, my wife cooks excellent African dishes so that eliminates eating out a lot of times. I love pounded yam and egusi soup. It is healthy and I can eat it many times.”
It is the same for Simon in the area of entertainment and fashion. “I love the African agbada (traditional Yoruba garb). Though I don’t wear much of it in Belgium because of the weather, whenever I come home I can’t have enough of it, especially during special occasions. If you don’t see me in agbada, then I would be wearing the simple ‘buba and sokoto.’
“I listen to African music. I love Nigerian artist. I have loads of their stuff and we listen to them in my home. Before the World Cup, some of us in the Super Eagles were practicing ‘shaku shaku’ dance (a dance hall step made popular by Nigerian rapper Olamide) to show off whenever we score any goal in Russia (Simon missed Russia World Cup by injury). I love to show off my steps whenever I want to dance,” Simon said.
Home, Jos-Nigeria also brings fond memories for Simon, who started kicking football on the streets as a boy. “Growing up in Jos was a privilege because many talented footballers came out from there. I grew up on the street kicking football wherever we found space. Becoming a footballer has always been my dream. I followed all the big players on TV. I later played for my school. I was snapped up by Golden Boot Soccer Academy from one of my school matches. I was in the academy for seven years and learnt the rudiments of the game there. We had good coaches who looked out for us and helped me move abroad. I picked up my tricks from the street.”
Unlike many of his peers whose parents don’t take kindly to career in football, his parents supported and prayed for him.
“My mother did not fret when I told her I wanted to be a footballer. Rather, she prayed for me and used to supply me with my needs. She was my pillar of support, always praying for my success.”
While crediting his religious inclination to his late mom, Simon acknowledged his father for his love for tradition, culture and family.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
