It was an unforgettable and tear-filled moment for Nigerian midfielder Daniel Daga. Making his triumphant return to the pitch, the young star netted a crucial goal to trigger Molde FK’s thrilling comeback against KFUM Oslo in the Norwegian Eliteserien.
The former Flying Eagles captain recently made headlines off the pitch when Norway’s Frostating Court of Appeal unanimously cleared him of all criminal charges, tossing out a previous six-month prison sentence.
Following the ruling, Molde FK reinstated the 19-year-old to the first-team squad, stating that while the judgment is awaiting final legal completion, they feel fully confident in bringing him back into active play.
Daga had not appeared for Molde since September 2025 during a cup match against Strømsgodset.
Overcome with emotion after his long absence, he marked his first start back with a crucial performance that snapped Molde’s dismal four-match winless skid and delivered their first victory in weeks.
The match got off to a nightmare start for Molde at the KFUM Arena when the home side took the lead just 20 seconds into the contest.
Rasmus Eggen Vinge cut inside from the right flank and whipped a brilliant curling shot into the far corner.
Molde pushed hard for a response, hitting the woodwork twice through Jalal Abdullai, but struggled to break through until late in the first half:
40th Minute (1-1): Taking advantage of KFUM being temporarily down to ten men, Abdullai hit the post once more, but Daga reacted faster than anyone to pounce on the rebound and slam home the equalizer.
51st Minute (2-1): Early in the second half, Emil Breivik put Molde ahead with a majestic strike from distance that bounced in off the post.
54th Minute (2-2): KFUM struck back almost instantly. A defensive blunder by Mathias Løvik allowed Bilal Njie to break free and slide a cool finish past the keeper to knot the score again.
The final minutes were dominated by VAR decision-making. Molde were initially given a penalty that was overturned upon video review.
However, drama struck again in the 85th minute when Martin Linnes scored. Though originally flagged offside, VAR intervened to confirm the goal was clean, putting Molde up 3-2.
Deep into injury time, Samukele Kabini polished off a lethal counter-attack to wrap up a chaotic, emotionally charged 4-2 victory for the visitors.