OGC Nice striker Terem Moffi has been granted sick leave after he and teammate Jérémie Bogawere were violently assaulted by sections of their own supporters on Sunday night, following the club’s 3–1 Ligue 1 defeat to Lorient, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
According to multiple reports, including ESPN, around 400 disgruntled Nice ultras gathered outside the club’s training centre to confront the squad upon their return.
The situation escalated dramatically when two supporters boarded the team bus to express their anger, sparking violent scenes as players disembarked.
Moffi was punched, kicked, spat on and racially abused, with some fans even pulling his hair during the confrontation.
He had to be physically assisted by goalkeeper Yéhvann Diouf, who helped pull him to safety inside the training facility. Boga was also targeted and attacked during the chaos.
The club confirmed that the two players have been placed on short-term medical leave due to the physical and psychological impact of the assault—Moffi for one week and Boga for five days.
Reports indicate that part of the agitation stemmed from fans’ anger over Moffi briefly joking with Lorient’s president after the match, which some ultras interpreted as disrespectful in the wake of Nice's poor result—its sixth defeat of the season.
The violent incident has triggered widespread condemnation across French football, with calls for strong sanctions against the perpetrators and improved security measures for players. OGC Nice are expected to issue further disciplinary and legal responses in the coming days.
The club has not yet confirmed when Moffi or Boga will return to full squad activities.
Uche Dozie