Molde FK midfielder, Daniel Daga, has been sentenced to six months in prison by a Norwegian court after being found guilty of committing a non-consensual sexual act while playing professional football in the Scandinavian country.
The verdict was delivered by the Nordmøre and Romsdal District Court, the jurisdiction where the alleged incident occurred. The case stems from an encounter reported to Norwegian authorities in 2025 while the Nigerian youth international was based in the country.
Daga was convicted under Norwegian criminal law relating to sexual offences. The court ruled that the act occurred without valid consent, resulting in the custodial sentence.
However, the player’s lawyer confirmed shortly after the ruling that an appeal has been filed, insisting that Daga maintains the encounter was consensual. Under Norwegian legal procedure, the conviction is not yet legally binding until the appeal process is concluded.
Molde FK acknowledged the ruling in an official statement, noting that the club is aware of the decision and is monitoring developments. The Norwegian side added that the player will not participate in matches for the time being while the legal process continues.
Daga moved to Norway after emerging as one of Nigeria’s promising young footballers and later captained the Nigeria U-20 national football team in international youth competitions.
With the appeal now underway, the case will proceed through Norway’s judicial system, where a higher court will determine whether the original verdict and sentence should be upheld, overturned, or revised.