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This Sunday, OGC Nice heads to FC Nantes’ pitch for the Round of 32 in the Coupe de France. After a successful start in the competition, the Aiglons face a challenging task against another Ligue 1 contender. All the pre-match information for this encounter can be found here.
Coupe de France 2026, episode 2 for OGC Nice! After their victory against AS Saint-Étienne (2-1) in their entry into the competition, the Aiglons will play away this time, in the Round of 32. Heading to the pitch of another Ligue 1 team, Sofiane Diop’s teammates will challenge FC Nantes for a place in the Round of 16 (kick-off for the match this Sunday at 6 PM). Note that Nice and Nantes will meet again in about ten days, on December 25th, still at Stade de la Beaujoire, with a match for the championship. “The more the players embrace what we’re implementing, the stronger the team will feel with well-tailored answers,” estimates the coach of the reds and blacks.
Claude Puel’s second term at the helm of OGC Nice began on a rather positive note. Against Strasbourg (1-1), the Aiglons delivered a coherent performance and might even have taken all three points, greatly aided by Nice’s first winter recruit, Elye Wahi, scoring his first goal in red and black. While the mission to remain in Ligue 1 has been launched, abandoning the Coupe de France is not an option. “It’s like a league match, we aim to prepare well. In approach, the ambition remains the same,” declares the coach of the Aiglons.
A Coupe de France to be played thoroughly
The Gym wants to make a good impression in a competition that has rarely been favorable to them in recent years. “There are no considerations, it’s like a league match, we play the shot to the fullest, and we’ll see afterward,” ambitions the tactician. This objective is shared by his player, Jonathan Clauss. “The goal remains the same. Every victory is to be seized. It’s a trophy, an objective. We’ll give it our all, that’s for sure,” assures the defender. Present at the press conference, he also took the opportunity to clarify his situation and discuss a complicated start to the season for him.
“I feel good here. I’m very happy to have joined this club. My decision seemed logical to me,” Jonathan Clauss reflected on the announcement of his contract extension until 2028, announced this week on OGC Nice’s social media. This announcement might have surprised many, as the lateral has been talked about, for the wrong reasons since the beginning of the season. “There was a chain of many things. I had projected myself a lot onto something big with Leverkusen. And eventually, it didn’t happen. I wasn’t fully focused on what I had to do. The situation was difficult. But I think that for some time now, I’ve been demonstrating a different mindset,” estimates the French international.
Elye Wahi towards a first start?
For this Coupe de France match, Claude Puel remains deprived of his internationals who are participating in the CAN. While Antoine Mendy, Yehvann Diouf, and Hicham Boudaoui are still in the running, on the eve of the start of the African Cup of Nations quarterfinals, this will not be the case for Ali Abdi. Tunisia is eliminated, and the defender could return to the OGC Nice squad. A good part of the squad remains unavailable. Among others, Dante, Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Mohamed Abdelmonem, and Moïse Bombito are still in the infirmary. “Kévin Carlos, Charles Vanhoutte, and Tom Louchet are the only returns compared to last week,” confides Claude Puel at the press conference. The latter two were suspended last week.
Meanwhile, Elye Wahi could make his first start with OGC Nice. Not yet fully fit, the striker came in at halftime last weekend. The rest, we know: the former French youth international scored the equalizing goal, bringing Nice level with their opponent in this match. “Things will unfold naturally. He worked well during the week. He is motivated. But everyone can contribute, it’s not just one player we can rely on. The threat should come from everywhere,” mentions Claude Puel about him. The Aiglons’ coach could use this game to introduce young players into his system. “It’s an extraordinary opportunity for them to show their qualities,” thinks the Azur coach. For his first match sheet, the Azur coach did not hesitate to introduce the young Everton (18 years old) – son of the former illustrious Niçois, Everson – and who was making his first professional minutes.
Opposite, FC Nantes arrives with good momentum ahead of this Coupe de France match. Last weekend, the Canaries recorded a prestigious victory on the pitch of Olympique de Marseille (2-0) in Ligue 1. “I saw a very determined team that moved this Marseille team without problems,” notes Puel about his next opponent. Struggling in the league, Waldemar Kita’s club has already undergone a coaching change, with Ahmed Kantari arriving in mid-December. In the CDF, Matthis Abline’s teammates overcame Concarneau (National) in the previous round, after an animated match full of twists and turns (5-3).
Probable lineups:
Nantes: Lopes – Cozza, Radakovic, Amian – Centouze, Mwanga, Coquelin, Machado – Abline, El Arabi, Cabella
Nice: Dupé – Clauss, Oppong, Bah, Bard – Sanson, Vanhoutte, Ndombele – Cho, Wahi (or Diallo), Diop.
