OGC Nice held their ground against ES Besançon for a long time on Wednesday evening at the Palais des Sports Ghani-Yalouz, before conceding in the final twenty minutes (28–24). This underperformance had no impact on the standings for the Aiglonnes.
We last saw them on a full match against Sambre last week and a perfectly controlled start to the year. Until tonight. Against Besançon, Sébastien Mizoule’s players stumbled, letting precious points slip away in the race for the podium.
Led from the start by a seven-meter throw by Sabrina Zazai (five goals), the Aiglonnes quickly found their rhythm. Marine Dupuis brought them back into the match with the same exercise she is so fond of, before Julie Pontoppidan, very active in the backcourt, gave Nice the lead.
The first half was a real tug-of-war, with both teams exchanging goal for goal. Ehsan Abdelmalek, very inspired in recent weeks, maintained the offensive pressure, while Marie Sajka and Fall provided valuable solutions in attack.
At halftime, Besançon was only leading by a narrow margin (13–12), proof of Nice’s solidity in the fight.
Nice catches up, then falters
The start of the second half confirmed this dynamic. Julie Pontoppidan, top scorer for OGC Nice handball tonight with five goals, equalized right away. Ehsan Abdelmalek (with 100% shooting success, four goals) then brought the Azuréennes back to equal footing. The Niçoises even had several chances to take the lead again, but lacked precision at crucial moments.
Conversely, Besançon managed to step up. Led by Charité Mumbongo (seven goals) and Sabrina Zazai, the home team created an initial gap (20–17 in the 48th minute). Despite efforts from Marie Sajka and Emma Rouly, OGC Nice handball never managed to catch up.
With 24 goals scored, Nice showcased some beautiful offensive sequences. The variety of scorers illustrates an attack capable of finding solutions, even against a dense defense as demonstrated by Besançon tonight.
On the other hand, the Niçoises struggled in individual duels, especially against Mumbongo, who was unstoppable in the second half. The temporary exclusions – notably that of Julie Pontoppidan (38th minute) – also weighed heavily during critical moments.
Even if OGC Nice lost (24–28), the performance remains encouraging. The team showed cohesion, engagement, and the ability to compete over long sequences against a strong Besançon team at home.
They now need to turn these good intentions into results, particularly in managing the end of matches, to hope to retain the third place in the standings. The Niçoises remain on the podium but are now only one point ahead of Chambray, who won against Saint-Amand tonight.
Next match for OGC Nice handball is this Saturday in the French Cup on Bouillargues’ field. Kick-off is at 8 pm.
