Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (2024)

This summer, we are running a series profiling 50 exciting players under the age of 25 — who they are, how they play, and why they are attracting interest during this transfer window.

You can findall our profiles so far here, including“the Gen-Z Sergio Busquets”,the Canada striker determined to become a household nameanda French midfielder who can do it all.

Terem Moffi’s route to the top has been unconventional.

Living in five countries before his 22nd birthday, the Nigerian striker has already shown that he is willing to travel the world to achieve success. Crucially, wherever he has gone, goals have followed.

Many talented players are often signed to a professional academy system from a young age, but Moffi left Nigeria in his late teens, attending Buckswood Football Academy in East Sussex, 90 minutes east of Brighton, to kickstart his dream.

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“I managed to get into an English school at the age of 17 because of football,” Moffi has told French newspaper Ouest France. “I chose this life and I wanted to succeed in football. In life, you must not stay in your comfort zone and you need to go out and make things happen. You need to take risks.”

Moffi, now 24, talks the talk, but he has also walked the walk.

After making his senior debut in 2017 for Kauno Zalgiris in Lithuania’s top flight, a move to FK Riteriai — also in Lithuania — followed, before making the step up to KV Kortrijk in the Belgian Pro League in 2020.

Less than a year later, he was playing in one of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues, after signing for Lorient in France’s Ligue 1.

Moffi has made a habit of stepping up his progress at a near-annual rate. After scoring 12 goals in 17 starts in the first half of the 2022-23 season, he made a January switch from Lorient to another French side, Nice, on an initial loan with an obligation to buy — a deal that has now been exercised for a fee in the region of €30million (£25.8m, $33.7m).

You might recognise him from that overhead kick he scored for Nice against Basel in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League in April — a strike that won Moffi the competition’s goal of the season award.

WHAT A STRIKE! 🚀

A ridiculous overhead kick from Terem Moffi! 🚲#UECL pic.twitter.com/Iwk2c8lyOC

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 13, 2023

While Victor Osimhen of Serie A champions Napoli is the Nigerian striker on everyone’s mind this summer, should we be talking more about Moffi?

Let’s start with the primary currency that any striker deals in — goals.

Last season saw Moffi have the strongest campaign of his career in that regard, scoring 18 times (17 non-penalty goals) in Ligue 1 for Lorient and then Nice on his way to 21 goals in all competitions.

As you can see from his shot map, a rate of 0.56 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes shows he was scoring at a rate above one goal every other game. That puts him in the category of “good but not great” in France, with that record making him the 10th-best goalscorer in Ligue 1.

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (1)

Notably, Moffi’s average shot quality (0.18 xG per shot) was one of the best in the division, highlighting how often he gets himself into valuable areas to score.

The 10-cap Nigeria international’s tendency to keep his position within the width of the penalty area means that he often optimises his route to goal, as he is prepared to run off the shoulder of the defender and maximise a transitional moment at any point.

An example of this can be seen below, where Nice recover the ball after a Monaco attack. As the ball breaks to Khephren Thuram, Moffi has already begun to sprint through the heart of the pitch to exploit Monaco’s high line.

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (2)

A simple ball over the top is enough for Moffi to utilise his blistering pace and drive towards goal…

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (3)

….and he scores emphatically with his dominant left foot.

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (4)

While Nice are a more possession-based side, they were wise to use Moffi’s strength and powerful running to make themselves more direct in attacking phases.

This was a weapon that was encouraged more often in the transitional, counter-attacking system used by Lorient during his two and a half seasons there, with Regis Le Bris’ side frequently sitting in a low block and springing forward at speed using Moffi’s pace — as you can see below against Clermont early last season.

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (5)

The 2022-23 campaign was far more productive for Moffi than the previous one, which saw him score just six non-penalty goals across 2,711 minutes of action in France’s top flight.

Interestingly, the quality of his chances across the two seasons were not too dissimilar. Below, we can explore the rolling 900-minute trend of Moffi’s non-penalty goals compared with his expected goals (xG) since the start of 2020-21. It highlights how Moffi improved as a goalscorer and that he overperformed his xG last season.

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (6)

In possession, Moffi is not all-action in taking a high volume of touches per 90 minutes — his 14.6 per 90 placed him in the bottom five per cent among all forwards in Ligue 1 for 2022-23 — and another drawback is that he is not as strong in the air as to be expected. Despite being 6ft 2in (188cm), he wins just 30 per cent of his aerial duels — which put him in the bottom quarter of all forwards in France’s top division last season.

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Instead, Moffi has grown in his ability to receive the ball to feet, turn, and drive his team forward.

Here, late last season against Montpellier, we see him pick up the ball as the most advanced player when Nice look to launch a counter-attack.

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (7)

As Joris Chotard and Faitout Maouassa converge to try to close him down, Moffi shrugs both off to drive into open space….

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (8)

….and create a three-vs-three in attack as he releases the ball to team-mate Gaetan Laborde.

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (9)

Having a striker who can drive your team forward and give you time to push out from defence is a valuable weapon.

However, Moffi’s occasional heavy touch or lack of game intelligence can sometimes let him down when carrying the ball forward due to his keenness to run towards goal as quickly and directly as possible.

In this example from January, he picks up the ball in a deep area during Lorient’s game away to Angers. As it breaks to him, his instant thought is to stretch his legs and get into the open space.

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (10)

Moffi’s pace pulls him away from several Angers players but, crucially, many of his own team as well.

As he reaches the halfway line, five opponents have him in their sights and with no white shirts ahead of him, a simple pass backwards might actually allow Lorient to keep the counter-attack alive…

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (11)

…but Moffi keeps his head down to drive forward, with only one other team-mate beyond the halfway line. Three Angers players converge on him and steal the ball away with ease.

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (12)

Moffi will undoubtedly develop his all-round game further as he gains more experience in France’s top division. As a clinical finisher, there were few players better than him last season — particularly during the first half of the campaign where nobody in Ligue 1 had a higher rate of goals per shot (0.33) than Moffi did during his time at Lorient.

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Having only just secured a permanent move to Nice, Moffi now has the opportunity to build on last season’s impressive goalscoring.

If he does that, Nice may find it difficult to hold onto their new forward this time next year.

One thing is for sure, though — he is not afraid to travel.

(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Sam Richardson)

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (13)Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (14)

Mark Carey is a Data Analyst for The Athletic. With his background in research and analytics, he will look to provide data-driven insight across the football world. Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkCarey93

Terem Moffi: The lightning-quick forward who is utterly lethal on the counter-attack (2024)
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