Eight players from OGC Nice have been selected to participate in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Nice internationals have accumulated 149 caps with their national teams. However, Moïse Bombito’s situation remains uncertain just hours before the competition begins.
OGC Nice’s season ended on May 29 with a 4-1 victory against AS Saint-Étienne in the return playoff. With their survival secured amid difficulty and controversy, several Gym players will now continue their season on the international stage.
Eight Nice players are featured in the lists of the 48 qualified selections for the 2026 World Cup. Antoine Mendy and Yehvann Diouf will represent Senegal. Mohamed Abdelmonem will defend Egypt’s colours. Ali Abdi was selected with Tunisia, Hicham Boudaoui with Algeria, Elye Wahi with Ivory Coast, Kojo Peprah Oppong with Ghana and Moïse Bombito with Canada.
Moïse Bombito still in uncertainty
The presence of Moïse Bombito remains subject to a last-minute decision. Suffering from a fractured left tibia last October against Monaco, the Canadian defender spent nearly eight months away from the pitch.
The 26-year-old player made his competitive return on the night of June 1-2 in a friendly match against Uzbekistan. An appearance limited to thirty minutes before an early exit. The central defender did not yet appear to be fully recovered physically.
Despite his presence in the Canadian squad, the player’s participation in World Cup matches is not yet guaranteed. Jesse Marsch wants to wait as long as possible before making a final decision: “he is here, he is still dealing with many small recovery issues to see if he can get back to 100%, so we’re giving him until the very last minute.”
The Nice defender already has 20 caps with Canada.
From African experience to World Cup discovery
OGC Nice will be particularly well represented among African selections. Ali Abdi will arrive at the World Cup with the experience of his 46 caps in the Tunisian shirt. The left-back is the most capped Nice player on this list. Mohamed Abdelmonem has 36 caps with Egypt. Injured with a torn ACL last April in the match against PSG, the central defender has not played any minutes with Nice this season but retains the confidence of the Egyptian coach. With Algeria, Hicham Boudaoui has 32 caps. The midfielder should be one of the important elements of the Fennecs during the competition.
On the Senegal side, Antoine Mendy has seven caps while Yehvann Diouf has two. Both players will discover a competitive World Cup with the Lions of Teranga. Elye Wahi continues his integration with Ivory Coast. After several selections in French youth teams, the Gym striker, top scorer in the second phase with seven goals chose to represent the Elephants. Two caps are now to his credit. Author of a brace in the return playoff against Saint-Étienne, the player on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt will try to earn a place in the Ivorian rotation.
Kojo Peprah Oppong is among the least experienced players on this list with four caps. The Ghanaian defender, a regular throughout the season with OGC Nice, will discover his first World Cup at just 22 years old.
Two players from the Nice squad will however miss the world appointment. Salis Abdul Samed, who has 22 caps with Ghana, was not selected by the Black Stars. Sofiane Diop (the season’s top scorer with eight goals), one cap with Morocco, is also not on the list revealed by Mohamed Ouahbi.
When will OGC Nice’s internationals play?
Antoine Mendy and Yehvann Diouf will compete in Group I with Senegal. The Lions of Teranga will start against France on June 16 (21:00) before facing Norway on June 23 (2:00) then Iraq on June 26 (21:00).
Mohamed Abdelmonem will face Belgium, New Zealand and Iran with Egypt in Group G. The Pharaohs will enter the competition against Belgium on June 15 (21:00), before facing New Zealand on June 22 (3:00) then Iran on June 27 (5:00).
Ali Abdi will face Sweden, Japan and the Netherlands with Tunisia in Group F. The Tunisians will start their tournament on June 14 against Sweden (4:00), before matches against Japan on June 21 (6:00) and the Netherlands on June 26 (1:00).
Hicham Boudaoui will cross paths with Austria, Jordan and Argentina with Algeria in Group J. The Fennecs will launch their campaign against Argentina on June 17 (3:00), before facing Jordan on June 23 (5:00) then Austria on June 28 (4:00).
Elye Wahi will discover the competition in a Group E composed of Ecuador, Germany and Curaçao with Ivory Coast. The Elephants will play successively Ecuador on June 15 (1:00), Germany on June 20 (22:00) then Curaçao on June 25 (22:00).
Kojo Peprah Oppong will compete in Group L with Ghana. The Black Stars will face Panama on June 18 (1:00), England on June 23 (22:00) then Croatia on June 27 (23:00).
Finally, Moïse Bombito could participate in the competition with Canada, the host country of the tournament in Group B. The Canadians will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 (21:00), Qatar on June 19 (midnight) then Switzerland on June 24 (21:00) if the Nice defender receives medical clearance in the coming days.
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