Nigeria’s Flying Eagles midfielder Daniel Daga has been officially acquitted of sexual assault charges by the Frostating Court of Appeal in Norway. The legal battle and subsequent suspension had kept the rising football star completely out of competitive action for 11 months, stalling a promising international career.
Following the appellate court’s decision, his Norwegian club, Molde FK, released a statement on Thursday confirming that the 19-year-old midfielder has been cleared to reintegrate into the squad and is immediately available for team selection while they await the formal final documentation of the judgment.
“The 19-year-old’s club, Molde FK, confirmed in a statement on Thursday that the player is available for selection again as they await the final judgment in the case.”
The ruling marks a massive legal victory for Daga, completely overturning a previous conviction handed down by the lower Romsdal District Court. The district court had initially found the Nigerian teenager guilty of sexually assaulting a woman, sentencing him to six months in prison and ordering him to pay NOK 10,000 in legal costs.
Maintaining his innocence, Daga and his legal team challenged the verdict at the Court of Appeal, which ultimately reviewed the evidence and cleared him of the criminal charges, lifting the legal cloud that hung over his career.
Midfielder cleared to rebuild career after missing 11 months of football
The acquittal allows the young midfielder to refocus on his development after missing nearly a year of professional football during his prime formative years. Prior to his legal troubles in Norway, Daga was widely regarded as one of the most promising young talents coming out of Nigeria.
He was a pivotal fixture for the national U-20 team, representing the Flying Eagles at both the 2023 and 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cups. With his legal clearance now secured, both Molde FK and Nigerian football fans will be looking to see how quickly the youngster can regain his match fitness and reclaim his spot on the pitch.
