Daniel Daga has been sentenced to six months in prison after a court found him guilty of committing a sexual act without consent, according to reports.
The ruling against the Molde FK midfielder was delivered on Tuesday, with the 19-year-old Nigerian also ordered to pay 10,000 Norwegian kroner in legal costs. Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 Norway reported that the judgment was consistent with the prosecution’s request.
Daga’s lawyer, Astrid Bolstad, said the player was disappointed with the verdict and insists that he did nothing wrong.
“He is very upset about the verdict. He believes he is innocent and that everything happened with consent,” Bolstad said, adding that the player intends to appeal the decision. She also noted that the verdict is not yet legally binding while the legal process continues.
In a statement issued later on Tuesday, Molde described the case as difficult for everyone involved and confirmed that the midfielder will not be included in the club’s matchday squad for the time being. The club said it has a responsibility to support its employee while also recognising the seriousness of the matter and its impact on those affected.
The Norwegian side had earlier withdrawn Daga from training and matches in December while the case was ongoing.
Daga joined Molde ahead of the 2025 season and made 15 appearances for the club, scoring three goals. Before moving to Europe, he played in the Nigeria Premier Football League with Enyimba after previous spells at FC One Rocket and Dakkada FC.
At international level, he represented the Nigeria national under-20 football team and was the youngest player in Nigeria’s squad at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Daga started every match for the team until their quarter-final exit to the South Korea national under-20 football team, earning praise for his performances during the tournament.
