OGC Nice's Sofiane Diop "taking his chance"

Nice's Sofiane Diop has spoken about "taking his chance" in recent weeks, and he has certainly been taking his chances, with four goal contributions in his last two Ligue 1 McDonald's games.

Diop comes back to haunt Monaco

Diop has had to endure some difficult times since making the short trip from Monaco to Nice. He completed that move back in the summer of 2022, but after a period of adaptation, he then faced a long period out on the sidelines.

Due to a foot injury, he went a whole year without starting a game in Ligue 1 McDonald's before returning last Autumn. "This period has made me grow a lot [...] the Sofiane before the injury won't be the same as the one after, and I've become a lot more mature, too. Personally, it feels like a fresh start," he said last November.

Sofiane Diop didn’t celebrate his goal against his former club, Monaco. ⚽️

Respect. 👏🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/8D5psCSCNC
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 5, 2025

If it is a fresh start, then he is certainly making the most of it. The Morocco international has looked bright when he has featured, but in recent weeks, he has taken his game to the next level, and that has not been lost on Franck Haise.

"We can see that he is taking his game to the next level," recognised Haise just before the international break. It came just after the forward had netted a brace in Nice's 2-2 draw against his former side, Monaco. The first was an excellently taken curled effort, and the second a calmly taken penalty; out of respect, he opted to celebrate neither.

A return of confidence

"I am feeling good. I am trying to take my chance, when I can [...] in my game, there is often one touch too many, one dribble too many," said Diop after the Côte d'Azur derby. "When his confidence comes back and the goals come back, it is good for the team," recognised his team-mate, Jonathan Clauss.

But he showed against Lyon on Saturday that it is not merely a flash-in-the-pan. It was his excellent whipped cross that set up Melvin Bard for Nice's opener, and the Moroccan turned home the second himself. That is his fourth in Ligue 1 McDonald's this season, making him Nice's top scorer.

4 G+A in the last 2 matches.

Sofiane Diop 🇲🇦🌟 pic.twitter.com/2SvfPUfHg4
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 18, 2025

Diop said that the collective performance in the thrilling 3-2 win over Lyon was Nice's best game of the season so far, and despite the narrative of his own personal revival, that is what he sought to highlight.

"It's about the win. I am here to help the team. What matters is the victory against a good Lyon team," he said post-match.

For Diop, this "fresh start" ever since that enforced, long-term absence, has been about taking the chances when they come. In front of goal, he has done just that, but he is also taking his chance in a more global sense and making himself an increasingly important player at the Allianz Riviera.

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