The draw of 32es final of the Coupe de France dragged on on Monday December 2 evening at the Parc des Princes. It was (finally) the turn of Group C including the Western clubs.
En Avant Guingamp had just inherited Caen for an almost classic reunion with the advantage of receiving the Normans, recently beaten at Roudourou (3-1, September 30). The Briochins, among the last four “drawn”, awaited their turn with a certain impatience, feared La Roche-sur-Yon and hoped for Stade Brestois. “Almost a classic championship match or a beautiful derby”justified Guillaume Allanou.
Finally, the innocent hands of former Guingamp defender Griedge Mbock and handball player Elohim Prandi offered a particularly tempting Stade Briochin – Le Havre.
“It’s a Ligue 1, it’s beautiful, it’s a strong place, it’s the oldest clubcould savor Guillaume Allanou, the president-coach of the Griffons. We must see it as a great reward and a match to be won in order to qualify. It's been 30 years since the club last played in Ligue 1, so it has a bit of a historical feel. And even at the time, we were in Ligue 2 and it was Caen, already a Norman club that we had beaten, that's a sign. It will be a great celebration and we will try to get our Christmas present before time and that will be a feat. »
In what setting? After defeating Saint-Malo on penalties (0-0, 5-4) last Friday, the Briochins want to continue writing their beautiful history in their Fred-Aubert stadium.
“Give everything to end the year well”
Guillaume Allanou will quickly get to work on it: “These are administrative twists and turns that we will resolve tomorrow or the day after tomorrow (Tuesday or Wednesday) but for me there is no reason why it should not be Fred-Aubert's. There, I react as a coach, tomorrow the president will manage the organizational part. For now it’s Bordeaux (next opponent in the N2 championship) which interests me. »
A few kilometers further west, Guingampais and Caennais will cross paths once again. “Not an easy draw but the satisfaction of playing at home. And our players will be keen to give everything to finish the year well.”commented Fred Le Grand, the president of En Avant.
A positive reaction a little far from that of Nicolas Seube. “What annoys me is that we are always outside, raged the Norman technician. We rarely have an advantage in this competition. It's annoying to move around, I don't know when the match will be scheduled. In view of resuming training, it would be better on Friday, in order to recover after Dunkirk, it would be better on Saturday. »
The opponent? “It remains the Coupe de France and it will be the last match of the yearconcluded Seube. It's a solid team, performing well at home, we've already paid the price this season. What I said to the players after the Bolbec match (beaten by Malherbe 6-0 in the previous round)is that the more matches there are at stake, the more we keep the rhythm and that helps build confidence. »
