Dagui Paviot (right) will have to hold the fort at the back and stand up to the leader's attack. Midi Libre – ALEXIS BETHUNE
Friday January 10 at 7:30 p.m., for the 16th day of National, Nîmes (13th out of 17) challenges the leader Nancy without its defensive axis (Mendy and Diouf suspended) but with the determination to bring it down. In order not to let the threat of relegation hang over…
It's one of our best memories as a follower of Nîmes Olympique. On January 22, 2016, in Ligue 2, the Crocodiles, who were in the relegation zone and dragging around the 8 penalty points from the suspicious matches affair, won 4-3 at the leader Nancy, thanks to a final goal from Larry Azouni. And the next day, when the players arrived by train, a hundred supporters invaded the SNCF train station with songs and smoke bombs. A great moment.
Two and a half months without a victory
Nine years later, while the great moments are far away, the Gardois are once again challenging the Lorraine leaders. In the National, this time. It's no surprise. ASNL, 6th last season, recruited some of the best players in the division during the off-season: Saint-Ruf, Expérience, Dabasse and the latest reinforcement Fdaouch, double best passer in 2023 and 2024. And since it has a fan base and “ten attackers” according to Adil Hermach, seven or eight more than NO (including Bokangu, coveted last summer), the Nancy club is for the moment meeting its ambitions.
Unlike the crocodile team, which fell into the second half of the table after two and a half months without success (two draws, three defeats including an elimination in the Coupe de France at Beaucaire). On October 23, Nîmes knocked out Boulogne, then 2nd, at the Antonins (2-0) and we thought that Mendy's partners were going to have a role to play in this championship. Today, against the 1st, it is mainly a question of removing the threat of a historic and catastrophic relegation to the fourth national level.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000It is high time to prove that the Crocodiles are worth more than their ranking
The Crocodiles, players and staff, have this unpleasant impression of being worth and producing better than their results and therefore their ranking (13th) indicate. It is high time to prove it. “As usual, he only missed goals“, noted Hermach after the goalless draw on 13 chances and 12 shots on target in a friendly against Fréjus/Saint-Raphaël (N2), last Saturday.
“It will turn around, it is not possible otherwise, insists the coach.At the beginning of the year, we all make good resolutions. I set myself the goal of adding confidence to my team, and not overwhelming them too much (the attackers, editor's note). They are suffering from the situation. If you have to hit someone, you have to hit me.”
In the meantime, it would be good to hit Nancy. Even with the worst attack in the National (10 goals in 14 games). Even with many players returning from illness. Even without the usual hinge, with captain Mendy and Diouf suspended together for accumulating yellow cards.
Adil Hermach: “We're going to respect them but we're also going to make sure we're respected at home”
Anyway,“There is no good time to face a leader. There is no miracle recipe, except that motivation must be increased tenfold. We did not have the best preparation for a match like this, we suffered, myself first, from repeated bouts of flu; but we are going to approach it like a match that we want to win, assures the Nîmes coach. We are not going to back down because we are the team that walks over everyone. We are going to try to dictate our tempo as we often do, hoping to have offensive success. We are going to respect them but we are also going to make sure that we are respected at home”. History of building new nice memories.
The probable line-ups
Nîmes. The probable eleven : Simon – Labonne, Iafrate, Paviot, Beneddine – Picouleau (cap), Akkal, Mexique, Bouaoune – Marcel, Abdeldjelil.
Replacements: Sbaï, Klitim, Doukansy, Khalid, I.Camara.
Suspended: Mendy, Diouf.
Nancy. Sourzac – Julloux, Saint-Ruf (cap), Thiaré, Experience – Carlier, B. Camara – O. Sidibé, Dabasse, Bouabdeli – Tour.
Substitutes: Pellegrini, Bouriaud, Fdaouch, Gomel, S.Cissé.
Suspended: Bokangu, Evans.
Practice. Kick-off at 7:30 p.m. at Antonins. Referee: Maxime Jamet. Live on ffftv.