To close this calendar year, OGC Nice travels to Furiani to challenge Corte (N3), Saturday at 6 p.m. for the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France. The Aiglons are expecting a hostile atmosphere and a complicated match, especially with the infirmary still so full.
“In the league? We are where we should be (6th) and we have room to progress. In the Europa League, however, we missed out on the competition.” Franck Haise is lucid when it comes to drawing an initial assessment of the first two competitions contested by the Gym, and before embarking on a third.
Despite a still very small squad, the Nice coach intends to play it hard: “Even if there are injuries, we have had the week to prepare for this match. There is no choice to make, the Coupe de France is great to play. We remain favorites and we are going there to qualify in the 16th.”
His midfielder Sofiane Diop does not hide his ambitions either: “We are entering a new competition, the goal is to win it. This Cup is totally affordable and it is clearly a goal to win it. If we play it, it’s to go to the end.” To do this, you must already overcome the Corte obstacle (Haute-Corse).
Two new injured and hoped-for returns for the resumption
If Tom Louchet (hamstrings) and Pablo Rosario (calf) are added to the list of absentees, Franck Haise hopes to find them in collective training for the resumption, scheduled for December 29. Just like Mohamed-Ali Cho (hamstrings), Youssouf Ndayishimiye (hamstrings) and Antoine Mendy (ankle).
Secondly, during the month of January, Mohamed Abdelmonem (calf), Ali Abdi (hamstrings), Dante (knee) and Morgan Sanson (foot) are expected to return to collective training.
On the transfer window, the Gym coach was clear: “I have very simple expectations: to recover as many players as possible from the squad. If that’s the case, I’ll be happy.” In the club offices, we are indeed expecting a very, very calm transfer market. Finally, Maxime Dupé, winner of the 2023 edition with Toulouse, will have his first with the Aiglons. The usual starting goalkeeper Marcin Bulka will be left to rest for this entry into the running.
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“I heard there was some rivalry, I hope everything goes well”
The Nice delegation is wary of this final meeting of the calendar year, contested on the lawn of the Stade Armand-Cesari in Bastia, which will host the Martinicans of RC Saint-Joseph the day before.
“I went there several times, to Furiani,” remembers Franck Haise.
“There is energy and there will surely be people there to support Corte. I hope that we will be in the best conditions to play a football match. The pitch seems of good quality and everyone will have every interest so that it remains so.”
Faced with the risk of excesses, the Haute-Corse prefecture has banned the travel of Aiglons supporters. “I learned that there was a certain rivalry,” concedes Sofiane Diop. “But we will not play against Bastia so I hope that everything goes well and that the supporters will make sure that it is a great celebration. There will be a winner and a loser. I hope we will be the winners, but I really insist that everything goes well in the organization.”
So be wary in the ranks of the Gym, before challenging the Union Sportive des Clubs du Cortenais, an entry into the running which looks in every way like a trap match.
