Mohamed-Ali Cho downs Nantes with two goals as Nice finally wins in Ligue 1

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PARIS (AP) — Forward Mohamed-Ali Cho downed Nantes with two goals on Sunday as Nice won 4-1 to secure its first Ligue 1 victory since October.

Cho took his tally to five goals overall this season. He burst onto the scene in 2021 as a 16-year-old with Angers when he became the youngest player in France to sign a professional contract.

Midfielders Sofiane Diop and Tom Louchet also scored for Nice, which had not won in the French league since beating Lille on Oct. 29. Egypt striker Mostafa Mohamed replied for home side Nantes.

Nice coach Claude Puel has lost only once in five games since replacing Franck Haise amid huge tensions and a nine-game losing run.

Puel's disciplinarian approach offers a reassuring presence at a difficult time for Nice, which has been backed by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe's chemical giant Ineos since 2019.

Puel is in his second spell in charge of Nice. He also coached the side from 2012-16, during which time he galvanized the flagging career of former teen prodigy Hatem Ben Arfa.

Among Sunday's later matches, Lyon was at Metz and Lille hosted Strasbourg.

On Saturday, third-placed Marseille beat Lens 3-1. Second-placed Lens is two points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain, which needed a late goal to scrape a 1-0 win at Auxerre on Friday.

Iceland midfielder Hákon Haraldsson has signed a new contract with Lille until 2030.

The versatile midfielder has scored 19 goals in 102 games since joining Lille from Danish club Copenhagen in 2023. ___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer