At Eintracht Frankfurt, Elye Wahi fell short of expectations. In his debut for his new club, he now shines after just a few minutes.
For almost exactly one year, Elye Wahi tried in vain to establish himself at Eintracht Frankfurt. Back in France, the attacker only needed exactly 8 minutes and 23 seconds to get going.
That’s how much time passed after his substitution until his first goal. After a through ball, Wahi skillfully curled the ball into the net (54th minute), securing a point for his new club OGC Nice in a 1-1 (0-1) draw against Racing Strasbourg.
Ligue 1: Eintracht loanee Wahi celebrates dream debut without training
“He arrived three days ago, he hasn’t trained yet, he hasn’t participated in a joint training session, these are encouraging signs. He was on the bench, came into the game and gave everything,” summarized Nice’s new coach Claude Puel Wahi’s first appearance.
It was good for him that he scored right away, Puel added: “We will continue to support him, he has many qualities. It’s a win-win situation.”
Wahi is on loan to the struggling club from the Côte d’Azur until the end of the season, without a purchase option. “Nice needs to get back on track – and so do I,” he emphasized on his 23rd birthday on Friday during his official presentation.
Press marvels at Wahi: “What a comeback!”
The first step worked impressively on Saturday. “What a comeback!” raved the sports newspaper L’Équipe , which also immediately named Wahi Man of the Match.
After his substitution, he “immediately created danger.” Although he still left chances for further goals unused, “His great debut for Nice made us want more.”
L’Équipe described the past year in Germany as a “complete disaster” for the striker, who only managed one goal in 25 competitive matches for Frankfurt, in the DFB-Pokal against lower-tier FV Engers.
A year ago, SGE secured Wahi’s services for a hefty 26 million euros – linked with high expectations that, however, were not met. In addition, there were disagreements between Wahi and the coaching staff as well as the club’s management.
Warm words from Eintracht boss Krösche
Sporting director Markus Krösche gave him some warm words on his temporary departure.
He wished the 23-year-old “that he regains his self-confidence and self-assurance. We will closely follow his path and are convinced that a loan to an ambitious club is the most sensitive option for everyone in the current situation.”
In the summer, it will become clear how things will proceed with the offensive player. His contract with Eintracht runs until 2030.
Coach change in Nice shortly before Wahi’s transfer
Initially, Nice seems to have found a good solution for Wahi, who was trained in Montpellier and later made his breakthrough at Lens and Olympique Marseille – even though his former mentor Franck Haise, with whom he had already held talks about a transfer in December, recently had to leave Nice.
But he also found a good exchange with successor Puel. “We talked about football, and that convinced me,” Wahi reported during his presentation – and emphasized: “The last two seasons have been difficult, which is why I am more motivated than ever.”
He has already provided a first proof of performance with his successful debut, including a goal.