After a week when Yéhvann Diouf's performances in OGC Nice's colours had come under the microscope, it felt like a cruel twist of fate that the goalkeeper would make such a calamitous mistake in their Friday night game against Stade Brestois.
Ahead of the match, Nice's sporting director, Roger Ricort, came out swinging in defence of the goalkeeper when he told reporters, " I just wanted to offer our full support to Yéhvann, without making a big deal out of it… I feel there's a bit of a vendetta against him, whether in the press or on social media ."
However, fifteen minutes into the game, Diouf would make a calamitous error to gift Brest the early lead. The goalkeeper was caught in two minds as he surveyed his options from the back. The Senegalese international had his studs on the ball, waiting for Ludovic Ajorque to take the bait and press him. As the striker moved, Diouf rolled the ball forward and looked to pick out a pass.
All of a sudden, Diouf seemed to lose confidence in his options – perhaps even his own ability – as he turned back and tried to shield the ball away from the oncoming striker. He was easily dispossessed, with Ajorque taking control of the ball and needing only to place his shot into the open net.
As Diouf admitted after the game, " During the match, I thought about my mistake. I'm still thinking about it ." Perhaps the thought of it was playing in his mind as he rushed out of his box in the 36th minute to clear his lines. He would slip as he made contact with the ball, turning over possession and gifting Brest another chance to fire into an empty net.
However, luck was on his side. Brest would pick out Kamory Doumbia, but the forward would stumble over the ball, unable to pull the trigger and put daylight between his side and their visitors. Nice would limp into the break only trailing by the lone goal.
You were left to wonder if that would be the last we would see of Diouf for the evening. Head coach Olivier Pantaloni admitted that he had discussed with his goalkeeping coach, Stéphane Cassard, whether they should make the change after the goal: " We wondered whether he should continue because, when you're a goalkeeper, mistakes like that can be costly. "
Pantaloni, like his players (who gathered around Diouf after the goal in a show of support), would decide to rally around his keeper and keep some faith in his ability to turn around his game and show more composure in the second half. It was a decision that would be rewarded.
Against the run of play, Elye Wahi would, with a glancing shot, level the score in the 61st minute. Following that, Nice would take the lead in the 83rd minute when Sofiane Diop slammed home a loose ball. Les Aiglons only needed to hold on, and they would manage to secure their first away win since March (when they defeated Angers SCO 2-0).
In injury time, Nice's Isak Jansson would fell Ibrahim Kanté in a clumsy and reckless spot of defending to concede a last-gasp penalty. Kenny Lala's spot kick was admittedly not the best, but Diouf would guess the right direction and parry it away to save the win. As he said after the game, " Given the way the match was going, I felt somewhat obligated to save the penalty. "
Over the course of the ninety minutes, Diouf went from zero to hero. And perhaps suggested a lesson for a Nice side still bearing the scars of their narrow brush with relegation. There's talent within this squad – at least enough talent to be well clear of the race at the bottom of the table – even if confidence remains low. Les Aiglons will not be world beaters anytime soon, but they're going in the right direction and have a squad that looks as if it will rally behind one another.
Lille OSC and AS Monaco had the chance to steal ground on their competition when they clashed on Sunday. Instead, the two sides were forced into a stalemate, as Lille's early lead was pegged back following a red card. Read the full match report HERE.
Olympique de Marseille looked to be flying when, with a quarter of an hour left of their game against Le Havre AC, they were up 4-0. In the final fifteen minutes, Le Havre would mount a near comeback, scoring three goals. Heads have already reportedly rolled following the collapse. Read what happened HERE.
Stade Rennais provisionally went top of the table after beating RC Strasbourg Alsace 3-0. However, their dance at the top may last only until this evening, when Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais play their rescheduled game. Read why it was moved HERE.
This feature is a repost from Get French Football News and can be found HERE
