May 08, (THEWILL) – Ludovic Blas scored a second-half penalty as Nantes beat Nice 1-0 in the Coupe de France final, ending their 21-year trophy drought.
Nantes, who have not won a trophy since 2001, will now compete in the Europa League next season after winning Saturday’s match at the Stade de France.
Unfortunately for Nice, Hicham Boudaoui handled the ball and referee Stephanie Frappart, the first female to officiate a men’s Coupe de France final, awarded Nantes a penalty. Blas scored from the spot in the second minute of the second half, what turned out to be the winner.
Amine Gouiri’s careless touch in the penalty area gave Nantes an early let-off, setting the tone for a disappointing first half. Blas tried his luck at the other end from just outside the box, but his feeble attempt was saved by Marcin Bulka.
With Nantes goalkeeper Alban Lafont flailing, Gouiri’s deflected effort flashed wide, and Andy Delort could have done better with a header from the subsequent corner.
Then, Blas firmly dispatched his spot-kick after Boudaoui handled in the box to give Les Canaris the lead right at the start of the second half.
Soon after Nantes took the lead, a dramatic last-ditch block prevented Moses Simon from increasing the lead, and Jean-Charles Castelletto headed wide, leaving Nice vulnerable at the back.
Nice failed to find an equaliser as Lafont palmed away Gouiri’s shot and showed wonderful reactions to deny Delort a follow-up with 20 minutes remaining.
In the end, Nice, who have also been enduring a trophy drought of their own since 1997, could not stop Nantes, as the latter held on to lift the Coupe de France and secure a return to Europe.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
