OGC Nice are facing a selection crisis of their own making as they prepare for the most pivotal fixture in the club's recent history. The Ligue 1 relegation playoff against Saint-Étienne, contested over two legs on May 26 and 29, will define whether Les Aiglons preserve their top-flight status or suffer the ignominy of demotion. Yet with the international window for 2026 World Cup qualifiers opening in the same period, manager Claude Puel is watching his options evaporate. The absences of Hicham Boudaoui and Ali Abdi – two fixtures in the starting XI – threaten to undermine Nice's survival bid at the worst possible moment.
Nice stumbled to a 17th-place finish in Ligue 1, their lowest since 2010-11, and must now navigate a two-legged playoff against Saint-Étienne, who placed third in Ligue 2. The first leg takes place at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Tuesday evening, with the return match scheduled for the Allianz Riviera on Friday night. The compact schedule already posed physical and tactical challenges, but the overlapping FIFA calendar has created an administrative headache that could prove decisive.
The club did receive some positive news earlier this week: forwards Elye Wahi (Ivory Coast), Yehvann Diouf, and Alexandre Mendy (both Senegal) were granted permission by their respective federations to remain with Nice until after the second leg. That trio will be available for both matches, preserving some attacking depth. However, the Algerian and Tunisian federations have taken a harder line, leaving Puel without two players who have been integral to his system.
Hicham Boudaoui, the dynamic 24-year-old midfielder, has emerged as a linchpin under Puel this season, starting 28 of 34 league matches. His box-to-box energy and tactical discipline have made him irreplaceable in a side often stretched by injuries. Yet as it stands, the Algerian Football Federation has only cleared Boudaoui for the first leg. The federation reportedly wants him to join the national team camp immediately after Tuesday's match, ruling him out of the return fixture unless a last-minute compromise is reached. Losing Boudaoui for the decider would force Puel to reconfigure his midfield entirely – a gamble in a game where control and composure will be paramount.
The situation is even more acute at left-back. Ali Abdi, the Tunisian international, has been arguably Nice's most consistent defender since arriving last summer. Alert, positionally sound, and aggressive in one-on-one duels, Abdi has started 31 of 34 Ligue 1 matches and provided an attacking outlet with his overlapping runs. Multiple sources indicate that Tunisia's head coach, Sabri Lamouchi, has refused to release Abdi for either leg, insisting the full-back report for duty before the playoff commences. Abdi is said to be deeply frustrated by the decision and desperately wants to help his club, but Lamouchi's stance appears final. Without Abdi, Nice lose not only a defensive anchor but also a leader on the left flank.
The double blow changes the complexion of the tie entirely. Nice entered the playoffs as favorites given their top-flight pedigree and superior squad value, but the enforced reshuffling narrows the gap. Puel, known for his pragmatic approach, may now be forced to deploy a more conservative setup, especially in the away leg, to avoid leaving a vulnerable defense exposed. Potential replacements – the young and inexperienced options in the academy ranks or converted midfielders – lack the match rhythm and understanding of the system, raising the risk of individual errors that a side like Saint-Étienne, buoyed by a home crowd, will look to exploit.
This is not the first time the international calendar has clashed with domestic playoffs, but the 2026 World Cup cycle has added urgency for African federations, many of whom face critical qualifiers. The AFCON rescheduling and the expanded World Cup format have compressed windows, leaving little room for negotiation. For Puel, it is a bitter pill: a manager who has already dealt with a chronic injury crisis must now contend with administrative forfeiture of key men in a match that could define the club's trajectory for years.
The implications extend beyond the pitch. Relegation would trigger a financial earthquake for INEOS-owned Nice, slashing revenues from broadcast rights and commercial deals, and likely forcing a clear-out of high-wage earners. The allure of the club's ambitious project, recently bolstered by investment and a Europa Conference League run, would be severely tarnished. For Saint-Étienne, the playoffs represent a chance to return to the elite after two seasons in the second tier; they will view Nice's misfortune as a golden opportunity to turn the tie in their favor.
Privately, the Nice hierarchy is still hoping for a late intervention. The club's legal department and the French football federation could exert diplomatic pressure, but FIFA regulations generally favor national teams during official international windows. With only days remaining, time is running out to alter the outcome for Boudaoui, and Abdi's case appears lost. The focus now shifts to how Puel reshapes his lineup. He may push midfielder Melvin Bard into a more defensive role or opt for a back three to mask the full-back void, though such solutions are far from ideal.
The first leg in Saint-Étienne now carries even greater weight. If Nice can secure a result – ideally a lead or a score draw – they might effectively shield the impact of the absences. Conversely, any shortfall will heap unbearable pressure on a makeshift backline for the return. The margin for error has vanished.
While the broader football world debates the fairness of such scheduling conflicts, for Nice the calculus is brutally simple: overcome the personnel crisis and survive, or face the consequences of a system that has no room for sentiment. The next five days will reveal whether the club's depth and Puel's resourcefulness can defy a scenario that none of them chose.
Based on reporting from L'Equipe.