A match brimming with European promise for the people of Nice, who are eagerly hoping their Toulouse counterparts will deal a blow to Nancy, allowing the Niçois to overtake them in the standings with a victory and thus climb to the podium behind Bordeaux and Lyon. However, before settling accounts, they must first sow doubt among the Marseillais who have recently chained good results by thrashing Caen in the league (6-1) and eliminating their Monégasque neighbors in the French Cup (3-1). Before hosting Spartak Moscow next Wednesday in the European Cup, the Provençals would like to maintain their momentum by securing a result in Nice territory.
The recent clashes between Nice and Marseille remain quite balanced since Nice won in the 2002/03 and 2006/07 seasons (2-0 and 2-1), with two draws in 2003/04 and 2004/05, while Marseille claimed victory in the 2005/06 edition with a solitary goal from a certain Ribery.
On the Nice side, the infirmary still caters to Vincent Hognon (knee) and Mohamed Yahaya (right foot), while there is still doubt about the participation of Lilian Laslandes, who has suffered a muscle lesion in his right thigh. On the Marseille side, Samir Nasri might not be on the pitch at Le Ray after an ultrasound revealed a distension of the lateral ligaments of his right ankle incurred Tuesday evening during the match with the A’ team, which also saw Hugo Lloris make his entrance during the second half against Congo (0-0). It will also see the return of Onyekachi Apam from the African Nations Cup alongside Cédric Kanté, while a Niçois, Joseph-Désiré Job and his Cameroonian teammates, surprised many by knocking out Ghana, unlike another player from Nice, Baky Koné, who couldn’t save his team from a heavy defeat by the surprising title-holders Egypt (4-1).
The celebration promises to be great Sunday night on the Niçoise hill, and without a doubt, the spectacle will be worthy of this event which many fans have been anticipating for weeks.
For Sunday night’s match, Nice – Marseille, players from OGC Nice will warm up in t-shirts stating “STOP FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION WITH CAMS.”
The global day against sexual mutilations was held last Wednesday, February 6.
More information about the association can be found on their website: www.cams-fgm.com
