After defeating Toulouse (D2) and Toulon (D1) last month, OGCN Handball traveled to face Bouillargues (D2). It was a more challenging match, but the main takeaway was the victory (25-28).
This weekend, the championship gave way to the French Cup. For the third round of the 2023-2024 edition, the Aiglonnes were in the Gard region. Third in the group, tied on points with Toulon, the Bouillargues team had the chance to bounce back against Nice. This was compounded by the news of OGC Nice captain Ehsan Abdelmalek’s withdrawal due to a shoulder injury. Her absence is estimated to last between three and six weeks. A severe blow for the Aiglonnes, who lose their best player since the start of the season (50 goals since the season began).
For this match, coach Clément Alcacer decided to rotate his squad. Several key players like Dienaba Sy, Raissa Dapina, and goalkeeper Marija Colic were given a chance to rest.
The Aiglonnes quickly took control of the match. Bouillargues came back into the game before succumbing again by conceding five goals while scoring only one. Wendy Semedo Monteiro notably stood out for Nice by scoring two of the five goals that allowed Nice to pull ahead. At halftime, Nice was leading comfortably (15-18).
OGCN got a scare
Upon returning from the break, the Nice team was caught off guard. Right from the start, Bouillargues applied significant defensive pressure and regained good attacking opportunities. The Gard team caught up and even took the lead for over 20 minutes. OGCN was trailing by two goals during this period. It was at this moment that Clément Alcacer decided to involve his key players more. Adriana Holejova took advantage by boosting her statistics and scoring two goals at the end of the match.
In the end, Nice won (25-28) and maintained the first place in pool B with 8 points ahead of Toulon. Notable performances came from Margot Le Blevec (5 goals), Sitha Laureen Dembele, and Marie Fall (4 goals).
Now, the Aiglonnes will have a break before the championship resumes on January 10 at home against… Toulon!
