Super Eagles star’s troubled spell in France takes fresh turn after shock court verdict

Super Eagles star Terem Moffi is set to receive the surprising news that two OGC Nice supporters accused of assaulting him have been acquitted by a French court, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nice criminal court issued a full acquittal on Friday, October 2, clearing the two ultras, aged 32 and 45, of charges including violence in a group and participation in an organised group preparing violence. This is according to a report by Le Figaro.

The verdict closes a dramatic legal chapter that began on November 30, 2025, when more than 200 Nice supporters surrounded the club's team bus after a 3-1 Ligue 1 defeat at Lorient.

Moffi and Jérémie Boga were among the players targeted as the confrontation spilled towards the entrance of Nice's training ground. The players reported being struck, spat at and verbally abused during the disorder, with the confrontation lasting about 40 minutes.

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Both forwards filed complaints against unknown perpetrators the following day and were subsequently placed on sick leave. Moffi was given a week away from work, while Boga was granted five days, with the incident leaving both players physically and psychologically affected.

The prosecution later sought prison sentences for the two defendants, who had previously held responsibilities within Nice's Populaire Sud supporters' group and had football-related violence convictions.

Yet the court reached the opposite conclusion.

Why the verdict closes a painful Nice chapter for Super Eagles star Moffi

The court relied partly on a police commander's report from the night, finding that the defendants had not committed violence and had instead attempted to calm the confrontation.

The report said the two men were allowed onto the team bus and told the players, albeit in forceful and vulgar language, that the supporters wanted to talk rather than attack them.

The ruling arrives after the incident had already become a defining moment in Moffi's final season on the French Riviera.

Nice eventually loaned the Nigerian forward to Porto in January 2026 after he had scored 24 goals in 72 appearances for the French club.

His French chapter finally ended in August, when Hamburg signed the 27-year-old permanently after his six-month Porto spell.

Moffi scored as the Super Eagles beat Jamaica 3-0 to win the invitational Unity Cup tournament back in May. The former Lorient star was also on target in the Super Eagles' 2-2 draw with Poland in an international friendly in early June.

He is, however, still looking for his first goal in a Hamburg shirt after firing blank in his first four appearances for the Bundesliga club. The Super Eagles striker is a doubt for Hamburg's next league clash with Hoffenheim next weekend.