Defeated in the first leg by Brest, the Aiglonnes played a fantastic match to win with a score of 27-23. The dream of a final victory has never been closer.
Nice came to fight and turn things around. They did more than that. Not only did they overturn Brest, second in the championship, but they also demonstrated that they are far from a surprise team.
This qualification was hard-won by Marjan Kolev’s protégés in a very closely contested and nerve-wracking encounter. Ehsan Abdelmalek and her teammates managed to set their pace and disrupted the Brest shooters, relying on an ironclad defense, greatly aided by Hatadou Sako’s valuable goalkeeping.
Defensively very solid, the Niçoises also showed offensive efficiency. Led by Ehsan Abdelmalek (6 goals from 9 shots), the Aiglonnes took the lead (14-11 at halftime) and firmly extended it in the second half of the second period (27-23 final score).
The Niçoises will meet Metz in the final. Reigning champions of France, the latter will play in their fourth consecutive final, while it will be the very first for OGC Nice Handball.
The schedule for the two matches for the title will be announced very soon, with the first leg in Nice and the return match in Metz at the end of May.
As for the Bretons, they will have the final of the French Cup against… Metz on May 25 in Paris, where they will attempt to save their season.
