On loan from Manchester City, Sierra Leone defender Juma Bah is expected to play in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League third qualifying first leg round as Nice plays Benfica at the Allianz Riviera.

Bah, 19, who joined on a season-long loan, has been handed an opportunity to continue his progression with the French side. Nice, this will be their first competitive outing of the season, with the Ligue 1 campaign not getting underway for another two weeks.

A few days after they visit Lisbon for the second leg, where they hope they will be leaving having caused a mini-upset, Franck Haise’s men will welcome Toulouse here on August 16.

Although finishing fourth in Ligue 1 last season, Nice has two rounds of qualifying to establish their UEFA tournament participation for this season, and they have been given the most difficult tasks in Benfica first up.

Nice is considered the underdog in this match, especially after a difficult European season last year, where they only earned three points from eight league phase games, finishing second-bottom in the Europa League.

This continues a trend of underwhelming European performances, with the club securing only one knockout victory against Sheriff Tiraspol over the past decade. The minimum Nice will achieve is a spot in the Conference League, but they are aiming for a remote push for the Champions League.

The winner will face the victor of the Fenerbahce vs. Feyenoord match, making it a tough challenge for all teams aiming for the league phase.