FC Nantes brilliantly secured their place in the Challenge Espoirs final this Thursday afternoon, winning 2-1 against Toulouse FC. After the disappointment in the Coupe Gambardella, Stéphane Ziani's young Canaries showed unwavering determination to reach their first final of the season.

The match, played in Toulouse, saw Nantes concede an early goal from Aymen Sadi in the 13th minute. However, the team quickly responded.

Nabil Ondo equalized in the 28th minute, bringing FC Nantes level at 1-1 before halftime. The decisive goal came from Klaus Camara in the 72nd minute, sealing the victory and qualification for the young Nantais.

Coach Stéphane Ziani highlighted the strong first half despite conceding: "We conceded a goal against the run of play because we had a good first half. But we managed to come back and then take the lead." He also noted his team's composition, mainly from the training group, facing a Toulouse side reinforced by professional squad players.

The Challenge Espoirs final is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20. FC Nantes will face the winner of the match between Stade Rennais and Olympique de Marseille, which will be played on Sunday, May 3 at 13:30. The French Football Federation (FFF) hopes the final will take place in a Ligue 1 stadium, although the exact location remains to be defined.

Before this major event, Stéphane Ziani indicated that the team would take a short three-day break before focusing on their next National 3 championship match against Le Poiré-sur-Vie.

Match technical sheet: TOULOUSE FC - FC NANTES: 1-2 (1-1). Referee: M. Mahaoudi. GOALS. Toulouse: Sadi (13’); Nantes: Ondo (28’), K. Camara (72’).