RC Lens have been dealt a severe setback ahead of the Coupe de France final, with confirmation that key defender Samson Baidoo will miss the showpiece against OGC Nice. The Austrian centre-back limped off during Wednesday’s league clash with Paris Saint-Germain, and subsequent scans have revealed a hamstring injury that rules him out of the Stade de France showdown.
The final, scheduled for Friday evening, represents a golden opportunity for Lens to claim their first major trophy since the 1998-99 Coupe de la Ligue. For Nice, it is a chance to end a lengthy drought of their own. Baidoo’s absence strips Lens of a pivotal figure in their backline, a player whose recovery pace and aerial command have been integral to their defensive solidity throughout the campaign.
Baidoo, 23, has endured a frustrating season marred by hamstring problems. Earlier in the campaign, he missed eleven matches between late January and mid-April after damaging his right hamstring. He had only recently forced his way back into the starting lineup, featuring in three consecutive games before this latest blow. The defender had spoken of his relief to be fit again, making this new injury all the more crushing.
The injury occurred around the hour mark at the Parc des Princes. According to reports, Baidoo felt a sharp pain in his left hamstring while tracking back, prompting him to immediately signal to the bench. He was replaced before the final whistle, and though Lens battled on, the sight of their stoic defender trudging off was a worrying prelude to the diagnosis that followed.
Medical examinations confirmed the dreaded news: a lesion to the ischium on his left side, mirroring the right-sided issue that sidelined him for three months. Such injuries typically require a minimum of two to three weeks of recovery, leaving Baidoo with no chance of participating in the final. The club’s medical staff are now working to determine the exact severity, which will also govern his rehabilitation timeline.
For Lens manager Will Still, the immediate concern is who replaces Baidoo in the heart of defense. The likely candidate is Jonathan Gradit, who has deputized ably this season. However, Gradit lacks the raw physicality and recovery speed that Baidoo provides, particularly against a Nice attack featuring the likes of Terem Moffi and Jérémie Boga. Still may need to adjust his tactical setup, perhaps deploying a deeper defensive line to compensate for the loss of pace. The aerial threat Baidoo neutralizes could also see Nice target Lens from set-pieces in his absence.
“C’est une nouvelle terrible," a source close to the dressing room told L’Equipe. “Samson was so determined to help the team win something this year, especially after his first injury. He’s devastated.” The mood at the club is one of quiet determination mixed with genuine sorrow for a player who has battled so hard.
Beyond the final, Baidoo’s participation in this summer’s World Cup with Austria is now shrouded in doubt. The initial diagnosis has not been definitive enough to rule him out of the tournament, but the timeline is tight. Austria’s medical team will be monitoring his progress closely, aware that a recurrence could end his season prematurely. For a player who has become a regular for his country, missing a global finals would be a bitter pill.
Lens enter the final as slight underdogs, having finished the Ligue 1 season in seventh place, while Nice secured a top-four finish. This was their best chance of silverware in years, and the loss of Baidoo could prove decisive. History suggests that cup finals are often settled by fine margins, and a missing link in the chain can be fatal. Yet Lens have shown resilience before, and their collective spirit, epitomized by Baidoo’s own comeback story, will be called upon once more.
For Baidoo, the road to recovery begins again. Two identical injuries in one season raise concerns about his physical conditioning and workload, questions the club’s fitness staff will undoubtedly address in the off-season. In the short term, he must watch from the sidelines as his teammates chase glory without him—a cruel ending to a campaign that promised so much.
The final itself presents a narrative of two clubs striving to end long waits for a trophy. Nice have not won the Coupe de France since 1997, while Lens last lifted the cup in 1998. The absence of a player of Baidoo’s caliber adds an extra layer of intrigue to a contest already brimming with storylines. Fans of both sides will be holding their breath as kick-off approaches, aware that such opportunities do not come around often.
As the teams prepare to do battle, the spectre of Baidoo’s injury looms large. In football, timing is everything, and for the Austrian international, this latest setback couldn’t have come at a worse moment. Based on reporting from L'Equipe.
