The Acute-Mortis and Nîmes attackers finished at the top of the goleadors in Group A of Regional 1. Cross-interview.
”I agree to the interview on condition that I clearly state that I am the top scorer with 15 goals, compared to 14 for Selmane…” Laughing emoji accompanying the SMS, Aigues-Mortes striker Abdelhakim Ajjaji, 30, wants to be teasing. Relaxed, the center forward can be, accession of the USSA to N3 validated. Fair play, Selmane El Hamri, 23 years old, the Nîmes reserve striker (3rd), also remains: ”I confirm, he is in front of me (sic)”
As a collective, what are your thoughts on the team’s season?
Abdelhakim Ajjaji: We were vengeful. We were coming out of a descent where we felt a little robbed, with the reorganization of the groups and these five relegations. We knew that the group was going to be very tough, that of the first five, six, it was an improved N3. We wanted to reverse the trend and we did it. The little icing on the cake is that we are not champion of our group, we are champion of the thirty-six teams.
Selmane El Hamri: I think we had a good season, even if we missed the climb. We perhaps lacked a little experience in the important moments, four or five days from the end. The fact that there were three, four players moved up to National, the change of coach (Bileck replaced Hermach), I think that, in the end, that’s what disturbed the group the most.
What was the initial objective?
A.A: Finish 1st in our group and move up! There was no doubt about it, everyone had signed up for it.
S.EH: Honestly, the first goal was maintenance. It was the coach’s speech. Afterwards, we realized that maybe there was something to be done and we played hard.
On a personal level, how do you analyze exercise?
A.A: I started the season with goals; finishing top scorer for the team and the championship. In addition, for my third season here, I won a 2nd Gard-Lozère Cup in a row. It’s more than accomplished.
S.EH: I find that I have progressed enormously. The coach did a lot of work individualizing all my weak points. Muscularly, for example, I arrived in Nîmes at 64 kg and, in six months, I must have gained three or four kilos of muscle. It helped me enormously during the season. At the beginning, I lacked efficiency, but as the months passed, I became more efficient by thinking a little more about stats and it paid off.
What did you think of this Regional 1 championship?
A.A: I have been around this division for around ten years and, this year more than the others, I found the R1 more challenging, compared to certain teams. A top 5 stood out, with good players and quality.
S.EH: I had known R1 for three or four months (in 2019/2020 with Rousson, then Alès in N3). This season, I found the championship good. To tell you the truth, I didn’t see much of a difference between R1 this season and N3 last year (he played in Beaucaire). I’m really not disappointed. Many teams were playing the climb.
Where will you play in 2024/2025?
A.A: I do not know yet. We had requests to play a little higher. Now that at the work level, we are stabilized, have a little fun in N2 over a season… Here, we know that the coach wants to keep the same structure for next season. Having a group with a positive dynamic is always good.
S.EH: For that, there are people who represent me. I prefer to concentrate more on the field. For now, I would like to see myself with the pros in NO, in National (previously on a federal contract in Beaucaire, he could not sign pro until then). I’m waiting to see if there is a concrete proposal.
