Gary O’Neil, head coach of Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace, maintained his belief that his side were the superior team despite suffering a 2-0 defeat to OGC Nice in the Coupe de France semi-final at Stade de la Meinau on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The loss ended Strasbourg’s hopes of reaching the competition’s final for the first time since 2001, with Elye Wahi scoring both goals for Nice in the second half to secure a 2-0 victory.
O’Neil’s comments came in the immediate aftermath of the match, where he expressed frustration at the result while insisting his team had outperformed their opponents over the course of the 90 minutes. Speaking to L’Équipe, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager stated: “On était la meilleure équipe” (“We were the better team”), reflecting his conviction that Strasbourg had deserved more from the encounter despite the scoreline.
The match itself unfolded as a tight, tactical affair in the first half, with both sides creating chances but failing to break the deadlock. Strasbourg had several opportunities to take the lead, including a close-range effort from Martial Godo that flew over the bar after a defensive mix-up involving Maxime Dupé and Peprah Oppong, and a Julio Enciso effort cleared off the line by Antoine Mendy. Nice, meanwhile, relied on counter-attacks and struggled to create clear openings until the second half.
The breakthrough came in the 51st minute when Jonathan Clauss delivered an outside-of-the-boot pass that released Elye Wahi behind the Strasbourg defence. Wahi calmly finished past goalkeeper Maxime Dupé to give Nice the lead. The goal vindicated Claude Puel’s decision to persist with a counter-attacking strategy after a cautious first half in which Nice managed only one shot, which was off target.
Strasbourg pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, with Enciso curling a shot narrowly wide of the far post and Gessime Yassine blazing a rebound over the bar from a Diego Moreira cutback. However, their hopes were ended eight minutes from time when Ismael Doukoure brought down Mohamed-Ali Cho inside the penalty area. After a VAR review, referee Jérémy Stinat awarded a penalty, which Wahi converted calmly to make it 2-0 and seal Nice’s passage to the final.
The victory means Nice will face RC Lens in the Coupe de France final on Friday, May 22, 2026, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. It marks the club’s first appearance in the final since 2022, when they lost to Nantes. For Puel, it represents a chance to win the competition as a manager having previously won it three times as a player with AS Monaco.
Despite the defeat, O’Neil pointed to Strasbourg’s recent form as evidence of progress under his leadership. The team had gone unbeaten in their previous five matches across all competitions, including a 0-0 draw with Lille in Ligue 1 and a 4-0 victory over Mainz 05 in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals just six days before the Coupe de France semi-final. That run had seen Strasbourg concede only two goals in five games, highlighting the defensive solidity that O’Neil has instilled since taking charge in November 2023.
Nice, conversely, entered the match amid a turbulent Ligue 1 campaign that has seen them battle to avoid relegation. The club sat in 16th place in the top flight prior to the semi-final, with their Coupe de France run providing a rare source of positivity during a difficult domestic season. Puel acknowledged the significance of the cup run for morale, stating after the match: “C’est vraiment bien d’avoir cette lumière !” (“It’s really good to have this light!”), in reference to the uplifting effect of progressing in the competition.
The semi-final was notable for the contrasting approaches of the two managers. O’Neil favoured a possession-based 4-2-3-1 system that aimed to control territory and create chances through patient build-up, while Puel opted for a more pragmatic 5-4-1 formation designed to absorb pressure and strike on the break. Nice’s defensive organisation was a key factor, as they conceded just one shot on target throughout the match despite Strasbourg’s territorial dominance.
Individual performances also drew attention, particularly Wahi’s brace. The 23-year-old forward, who joined Nice on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2026, had struggled for consistency earlier in the season but showed his quality with two composed finishes. His first goal came after a intricate passing move involving Clauss and Tom Louchet, while the penalty was taken with the calmness of an experienced striker despite his relative youth.
For Strasbourg, the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow given the chances they had created. Godo’s close-range effort in the 23rd minute, where he fired wide from six yards out after a rebound, summed up their frustration in front of goal. Enciso also had two efforts that came close – a shot cleared off the line and another that narrowly missed the far post – highlighting the fine margins that decided the tie.
The result means Strasbourg will now turn their full attention to Ligue 1, where they sit in 8th place and are chasing European qualification for next season. Their next match is an away trip to Olympique de Marseille on Sunday, April 26, 2026, a fixture that traditionally carries significant intensity given the historical rivalry between the two clubs.
Nice, meanwhile, will prepare for the Coupe de France final against Lens while continuing their fight to avoid relegation from Ligue 1. The final represents an opportunity to salvage silver from what has otherwise been a challenging campaign, with the trophy last won by the club in 1997 when they defeated Guingamp on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
As both teams look ahead, O’Neil’s assertion that Strasbourg were the better team on the night will remain a point of discussion among fans and analysts. While the scoreline suggests otherwise, his perspective reflects the belief that performance metrics such as possession, chances created, and defensive effort can sometimes notify a different story to the final result – a viewpoint that adds nuance to the immediate disappointment of elimination from a prestigious competition.