After two rather easy first laps in Anzin St-Aubin (5-0) and in Cambrai (4-1), things will get tough for Amiens SC in the 32nd of the Coupe de France with a trip to the Roudourou stadium in Guingamp for a duel between Ligue 2 teams, tied in the standings with 21 points.
Fofana: “Play the game thoroughly”
“We will go to Guingamp to play the match thoroughly“promises defender Mamadou Fofana who does not want to calculate three days from a last difficult Ligue 2 match at Paris FC. “We have a lot of players, those who play and those who return during a match are all doing the “job”. What could be better than to continue on a good momentum“assures the Malian international defender who hopes to see Amiens SC, undefeated since October 16, continue its beautiful series.
Hinschberger: “From 50-50”
Always deprived of his captain Matéo Pavlovic wounded in the nose, Philippe Hinschberger recorded on the other hand the return of his defender Mickaël Alphonse and will even retain the South African Bongani Zungu for the first time this season in the group. “For me, a match between two Ligue 2 teams in the Coupe de France is 50-50“announces the Amiens coach.”But if it can help us to stay in the current dynamic, that is to say to lose very few matches, to score goals without taking much, everyone wants that! In any case, when I say it’s a good draw, it’s because we know where we are setting our feet, against whom we are playing, on very good ground … so it’s better than going to play at a National 2 team on a field!“explains Philippe Hinschberger who, as is often the case in the Cup, will field his No. 2 goalkeeper Yohann Thuram from the start.
We know where we are stepping, against whom we are playing, on very good ground … so it’s better than going to play for a National 2 team on a field!“Philippe Hinschberger
Beauvais to Thaon-les-Vosges
For its part, AS Beauvais (N2), the other Picard survivor of these 32nd finals, will travel to Thaon-les-Vosges (N3) with a workforce reduced by injuries but the will to reach like the last year the round of 16. “With everything we’ve been through in recent weeks, it’s far from easy emotionally for the whole group.“, confess coach Sébastien Dailly, “but I have boys of great human quality, so we will do what is necessary with the able-bodied players to make a last effort before the truce and hope for a Ligue 1 in the next round.“
Thaon-les-Vosges / Beauvais, kick off 6:30 p.m. this Saturday, December 18. Note that the 16th finals of the Coupe de France are scheduled for … January 2!