Nice vs Strasbourg: OGC Nice Reach Coupe de France Final with 2-0 Victory – Wahi Scores, Fans Celebrate Road to Stade de France

Gary O’Neil maintained his belief that Strasbourg were the superior side despite a 2-0 defeat to Nice in the Coupe de France semi-final at Stade de la Meinau on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager told L’Équipe after the match that his team had been “the better team” and would have won the encounter “nine times out of ten” had they shown more clinical finishing.

“On était la meilleure équipe, on n’a subi que trois tirs cadrés et on a eu énormément d’occasions nettes. On aurait gagné ce match neuf fois sur dix, alors je suis fier de mes joueurs, mais le foot est parfois très cruel,” O’Neil said in his post-match interview.

Strasbourg created numerous chances throughout the match but failed to convert them, with Julio Enciso and Martial Godo both spurning golden opportunities in the first half. Enciso saw an effort cleared off the line by Antoine Mendy, whereas Godo blazed over the rebound from six yards out after a defensive mix-up.

Nice, meanwhile, relied on their counter-attacking threat and struggled to create clear openings until the second half. The breakthrough came in the 51st minute when Jonathan Clauss released Elye Wahi behind the Strasbourg defence with an outside-of-the-boot pass. Wahi calmly finished past goalkeeper Maxime Dupé to deliver Nice the lead.

The goal vindicated Claude Puel’s decision to persist with a counter-attacking strategy after a cautious first half in which Nice managed only one shot, which was off target. Strasbourg pushed for an equaliser late on as Enciso curled narrowly wide of the far post before Gessime Yassine lashed a delivery over the crossbar.

However, they were hit with a sucker punch eight minutes from time after Ismael Doukoure brought down Mohamed-Ali Cho inside the penalty area. The spot-kick was awarded after a VAR review, and Wahi made no mistake from 12 yards to send Penders the wrong way and seal the win.

The loss ended Strasbourg’s hopes of reaching the competition’s final for the first time since 2001. Nice will now play Lens in the Coupe de France final on May 22, 2026, having won the competition three times as a player with Monaco under Claude Puel’s previous involvement.

O’Neil insisted the defeat must serve as motivation for future progress. “Cette défaite face à Nice doit nous servir de carburant et nous motiver encore plus pour progresser et améliorer ce qui n’a pas fonctionné,” he added.

The Strasbourg manager also addressed criticism of his rotation policy following a 3-0 home defeat to Rennes in Ligue 1 on Sunday, April 20, 2026. “Je n’ai pas de regrets par rapport au turnover pratiqué contre Rennes (défaite 3-0 à domicile, dimanche dernier en L1), car je n’avais pas le choix. Je me suis fié à ce qu’a préconisé le staff médical,” O’Neil explained.

He praised the support of Strasbourg’s fans, describing their post-match reaction as “remarkable.” “La manière dont ils ont réconforté mes joueurs après le match était remarquable. C’est vrai aussi qu’on a commis une grosse erreur sur le premier but de Nice (Wahi, 51e), qui a changé le match. Mais on a vraiment tout essayé. Pour aller en finale, il aurait fallu être parfaits et cela n’a pas été le cas,” O’Neil concluded.

The result means Nice advance to their first Coupe de France final since 2022, while Strasbourg must refocus on their Ligue 1 campaign as they seek to build on this performance despite the disappointment of elimination.

What’s next for both teams: Nice prepare for the Coupe de France final against Lens on May 22, 2026, while Strasbourg return to Ligue 1 action with their next match scheduled for the weekend of April 25-26, 2026.

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