Jérémy Iafrate and Marwane Hermach (19 years old), the coach's little brother, were starters. Midi Libre – ALEXIS BETHUNE
Of course, the Crocos still have as much trouble scoring, but Adil Hermach, deprived of a dozen players and satisfied with the content, did not want to overwhelm them after the draw against the Varois, 4th in group A of National 2 (0-0).
Nîmes (N) 0 – Fréjus/Saint-Raphaël (N2) 0
Stade des Antonins. Cold weather, damaged pitch. Match behind closed doors.
Referee: Robin Hingrand.
Warning in Nîmes: Iafrate (27th).
Nîmes: Ichalalen – Labonne (Sbaï 46th), Iafrate (Klitim 72nd), Paviot, Beneddine (Laurens 72nd) – M. Hermach, Akkal, Mexico (cap, Khalid 61st), Bouaoune (El Hamri 67th) – Marcel (Daoudi 72nd), Abdeldjelil (Camara 67th).
If we did not know so well the ills of Nîmes and the cruel lack of efficiency in front of the opposing goal observed during the first part of the season, we could have written that we had witnessed a good 0-0, this Saturday at the Antonins.
But, like the crocodile supporters, we have suffered too much from the Gard offensive clumsiness recently to appreciate yesterday's performance and call it promising. So, let's say encouraging, without forgetting that there was a National 2 team opposite. And that the most important (and hardest) thing in football is to score!
2024-2025, same fight: 13 chances, 12 shots on target
2024-2025, so, same fight. Chances, a few, a lot, madly, but no goals at all. We counted 13, and 12 shots on target. Var goalkeeper Mocio was the man of the first half with five saves: on a corner kick from Beneddine (1st minute) then twice against Abdeldjelil (3rd and 43rd) and Marcel (23rd and 26th) in the area.
On the wings, Beneddine and Labonne contributed, and the absence of around ten players was not felt too much. Goalkeepers Simon (a little sick, preserved) and Cozzella (in the recovery phase) as well as Doukansy, Picouleau, Lemaangr (sick), Delpech (on trial at Le Mans, no answer for the moment), Amara (re-athleticization), Ali Abdallah (return to Strasbourg) and the hinge Mendy-Diouf (both suspended for Nancy and the resumption of the competition) were thus missing.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Jérémy Iafrate would have been sent off in an official match
The Iafrate-Paviot pair therefore worked on their complementarity, while giving themselves two scares: the first, who fouled the Azurean attacker Lakhamy in the position of last defender (27th) would have been sent off in an official match; and the second, taken from behind by Barka (80th), saw with relief the centre forward crossed his shot too much alone against Ichalalen, preferred to Dias.
Otherwise, it was again a deluge of opportunities for Nîmes at the end of the game: the Marcel-Abdeldjelil duo a little short to take a cross from Beneddine (66th), a goal from Camara disallowed for offside on a cross from Sbaï (73rd), an off-centre free kick from El Hamri on the crossbar (83rd), a well-placed one from Khalid diverted by the substitute Var goalkeeper Bezzina (88th), and Camara alone but still offside when all he had to do was wait for Daoudi's offering (90th).
Adil Hermach: “As usual…”
We left the Antonins with a 0-0 draw against Le Mans on December 6. A month later, with this 0-0 against the 4th in group A of N2, we were not disoriented. But, at the start of this year, let's give Adil Hermach the right to believe in it: “It was a good match to watch, a good return match. As usual, the only thing missing was the goals. But I'm not going to overwhelm my team, and highlight the chances they went looking for with their runs, their presence and their determination in the box. As for the waste in front of goal, no big deal, we keep working”.
Given the state of the squad, scoring was not necessarily the goal sought this Saturday. It will be mandatory next Friday at 7:30 p.m., still at the Antonins, against the Lorraine leader.
Marwane Hermach, Michel Estevan, Ernesto Gianella
Brother. Marwane Hermach, who is half the age of his big brother Adil (19 against 38), was fielded for 90 minutes and was not out of place, far from it. Impressions of the usual reserve midfielder: "I was asked to be myself, and to always be on the move. I felt good, but I'm not satisfied with that. I found that it was a match that resembled the previous ones of the pros, with many chances but no goals”. Good analysis!
Spectator. Hardly anyone in the stands for this match behind closed doors, but a well-known coach in the Gard: Michel Estevan (63 years old), formerly by NO and Beaucaire, coach of Fréjus last season and now manager of the Var club.
Black book. Argentinian center forward Ernesto Gianella died this Friday at the age of 83, in Euzet, near Alès, where he lived in an Ehpad. He played and scored at NO (1967-1969, D2 then D1, 24 goals) then at the OAC in the 1970s. Midi Libre presents its sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.