Chidozie Awaziem Relegated from Ligue 1 as Nantes Drop to Ligue 2 After 13-Year Top-Flight Stay

Nigerian international Chidozie Awaziem will be playing second-tier French football next season after Nantes were relegated from Ligue 1, confirmed following their 1-0 defeat to Lens at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on 9 May 2026. The result, which came with one round of fixtures still to play, brought an end to the club’s 13-year uninterrupted spell in French top-flight football.

The match’s decisive moment came in the 79th minute and from the most unlikely of sources. Sixteen-year-old Mezian Soares, introduced from the bench moments earlier, scored with his very first touch in professional football — reportedly within five seconds of entering the pitch — to seal Lens’s victory and condemn Nantes to Ligue 2. Fabrizio Romano confirmed the details of the goal on X, noting the teenager’s historic debut contribution, which simultaneously secured Lens’s qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

FC Nantes confirmed the relegation via their official club account, posting a brief statement in French: “Fin du match. Malgré des occasions franches, nos Jaunes et Verts s’inclinent à Bollaert. Une défaite synonyme de relégation. Le Football Club de Nantes évoluera en Ligue 2 la saison prochaine.” Translated, the club acknowledged that despite clear chances, the result amounted to relegation and confirmed their second-division status for 2026/27.

Nantes, one of the most decorated clubs in French football history with eight Ligue 1 titles to their name, endured a difficult campaign throughout. The Canaries gathered just 23 points from 32 matches, leaving them five points adrift of the relegation play-off position held by AJ Auxerre. A bright patch mid-season — including a notable 3-0 victory over Olympique de Marseille — briefly raised hopes of survival, but a lack of consistency and insufficient attacking output ultimately sealed their fate.

For Awaziem, the relegation represents a painful conclusion to what was personally an encouraging season. The Super Eagles centre-back was identified as one of Nantes’ most reliable figures across the campaign, featuring in 26 league matches and starting 24 of them. He contributed one goal and two assists from a defensive position — a respectable return — and was named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Week following the win over Marseille. Against Lens, he completed the full 90 minutes and produced a determined performance marked by key blocks and clearances, though it was not enough to prevent the defeat.

At 28 years old, Awaziem now faces an uncertain club future. Whether he remains with Nantes for their Ligue 2 campaign or seeks a move to maintain top-flight football — in France or elsewhere — is likely to become one of the transfer questions surrounding the Super Eagles squad ahead of the summer window. His consistent performances this season will not have gone unnoticed by clubs across Europe’s top leagues.

The relegation also carries broader implications for Nigerian football. Awaziem is a recognised presence in the Super Eagles defensive setup, and his club situation heading into the next international window will be closely monitored by the Nigeria Football Federation. Nantes’s drop comes at a time when the Super Eagles themselves are navigating a transitional period, having recently missed out on World Cup qualification.

Nantes’s demotion ends one of Ligue 1’s longer-running presences in the modern era. Founded in 1943, the club was last in Ligue 2 over a decade ago and will now begin the process of rebuilding with an eye on an immediate return to the top flight.