Profile: Evann Guessand Off to Impressive Start Under Franck Haise

OGC Nice striker Evann Guessand is off to a great start this 2024-25 season as the 23-year-old attempts to become the latest young player to take Ligue 1 by storm.

New Nice manager Franck Haise has counted on Guessand to be the squad's starting No. 9 as the young striker has featured in the starting 11 for all three league matches so far heading into the international break.

Haise's trust in the goal scorer paid off last weekend when the forward recorded a brace in less than ten minutes during the 4-1 win over Angers SCO. Guessand's two goals were the insurance that Nice needed to ensure they walked away with three points.

The player’s performance at the start of this campaign has also resulted in a call-up to the Côte d'Ivoire national team. Guessand will be part of the Les Éléphants squad that will face Zambia on September 6 and Chad on September 10 as part of the AFCON qualifiers.

Guessand was in Nice's youth system from 2014 to 2019 and cracked the first team in 2020, but a loan stint with FC Nantes during the 2022-23 season allowed him to grow as a player.

In that campaign, Guessand was on a Nantes squad playing in the UEFA Europa League while making a run at back-to-back Coupe de France trophies, falling short in the final as Les Canaris finished as runners-up, losing to Toulouse FC 5-1.

Last year, the Nice standout opened up on the club's official website about his experience with Nantes. He shared how it was a game-changer for him, giving him the chance to play in European competitions and a domestic cup final.

"It allowed me to develop, to discover Europe and to make a run in the Coupe de France, like the year before. It was a bit of an up-and-down season, with me playing against Juventus [1-1, 0-3 in the Europa League play-off] and trying to stay in the top flight, but all in all it was my first season at the top level where I was able to play an important role in the team [44 games played, five goals].

"At Nice, in 2021-22, I was almost exclusively a starter. At Nantes, I started quite a few games. That's how you gain experience. Today, I think I'm a different player."

Haise is no stranger to guiding a team to a European competition spot, having accomplished it with RC Lens in 2022-23. Now, he’s set on doing the same with Nice, and Guessand could play a crucial role in making that happen.

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