By prevailing over South Ossetia (3-0), the County of Nice team secured their place in the final of the ConIFA World Cup. For their first participation, the team from Nice is now one game away from the ultimate title.
Nothing seems to stop this team. “You give the impression of having been playing together for a year,” Fred Gioria repeated to them during the pre-game talk. Driven by their emblem once again, the Nice players went beyond the fatigue. Beyond the heat.
With grit and football, the Selecioun qualified for the ConIFA World Cup final by defeating South Ossetia (3-0).
A standout in the attack, Malik Tchokounte made his mark again by opening the score after just 4 minutes from a good pull-back cross by Frank Delerue. In the logic of a dominated game, the Dunkerque striker doubled the score 25 minutes later by heading in a cross from Loïc Malatini.
2-0 at halftime, the solid Selecioun, encouraged by thousands of Nice supporters from afar, returned to the locker room with serenity. Positioned in the 3-5-2 formation that proved successful in the quarterfinals, the team, led by the Gioria-Mattio duo, left only scraps for their opponents, troubled by an alert Arnaud Martinez. Starting at the last minute in place of Denis Brunner, who suffered a knee injury, the team veteran showed spectacular performance.
After returning from the locker room, Stephen Migliore and his teammates continued to apply their principles, exhibiting fluidity. Coming into the game, the returning player from suspension, Kevin Puyoo, from Portuguese 3rd Division, targeted the opposing defense and definitively secured the victory with a pure left-foot strike.
Qualified for the final (Sunday at 1 PM), the Selecioun will face the Isle of Man. A chance for revenge against the team that defeated them on Monday in the first group match.
The Nice starting 11: Martinez – Delfino, Assoumani, Scaniglia – Ferreri, Onda, Migliore, Bauer – Malatini – Tchokounté, Delerue
Substitutes used: Noto, Puyoo, Jaziri
