Nigeria forward Moses Simon opens goal account as Nantes held by Lille

Nigeria international Moses Simon grabbed his first goal of the season as Nantes battled to a 1-1 draw against Lille in a Ligue 1 fixture on Friday.

The 27-year-old Super Eagle put the Canaries ahead in the 28th minute but second-half substitute Ismaily ensured Lille picked a point from the second game of the season at Stade de la Beaujoire with a well-taken effort in the 76th minute.

Simon was handed another start by manager Antoine Kombouare and he almost scored the opener in the 11th minute when he combined well with Egypt international Mostafa Mohamed, but after evading his two markers, he shot wide.

However, 17 minutes later, the Super Eagle made amends when he raced to meet a cross from Andrei Girotto and unleash an unstoppable strike from deep inside the box, past Leo Jardim.

Despite looking the more threatening side, Nantes couldn't score again and headed into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead.

Lille looked lively in the opening exchanges of the second period and they almost levelled matters in the 56th minute when Guinea international Mohamed Bayo found himself with acres of space inside Nantes' danger zone, but his hesitation saw Andrei Girotto clear the danger before he could pull the trigger.

Simon got another chance to double Nantes' lead in the 67th minute but his glancing header was saved by Jardim.

Eight minutes later, Lille drew level, with Ismaily latching onto a perfect pass from Jonathan David before finishing past the advancing Alban Lafont.

Simon featured for the entire 90 minutes just like he did in the 0-0 season opener against Angers at Stade Jean-Bouin on August 7.

Last season, Simon made 30 top-flight appearances for Nantes, scoring six goals and providing eight assists.

The draw left Nantes in the ninth position on the 20-team table with two points and they will next come up against Olympique Marseille at Stade Velodrome next Saturday.