Here we are, Orleans Loiret Basket is playing a semi-final of the Coupe de France, eleven years after its last contested against Limoges in 2010. It was also that year that the Orléanais won the competition against Gravelines. This time, the OLB faces Dijon this Tuesday evening, one of the best teams in the Jeep Elite Championship, maybe even the best. It’s a match worth gold, “worth a final” quite simply, assures OLB coach Germain Castano. Deprived of two major players, LaMonte Ulmer and Darius Johnson-Odom, the Orléanais must compose and find sufficient energy to bring down Dijon again and go titillate the stars.
“We’re going to try to make a move”
It would be fun, no doubt, to the injured, to the supporters, but also to Germain Castano because, it should be remembered, the Orleans coach has never played in a semi-final of his career and even less a final so he will make every effort to go to Bercy. “Afterwards, I would be a liar to tell you that we are favorite, we are not”, admits Germain Castano, “but anyway, we will try to make a move and we will take this match very seriously because we have so much respect for this Dijon team, respect also for the event, so let’s do a match, let’s try to have open shots, we’re going to have a good match “.
“We are proud to be there, because there are four big teams (Asvel and Limoges for the other semi-final, editor’s note), to be part of it, it’s great afterwards I know the team well. Dijon team, they will not disrespect us, so we are happy and quite proud of that, that means that on the pitch they will not disrespect us and they will do everything to achieve a big match “, assures the Orleans coach.
“We must go to war”
Dijon is a team that “will want, who is rested and who is in great shape so it’s up to us to respect the game plan and respect what the coach asked us”, adds Giovan Oniangue, the Orleans captain. “We must go to war”, he adds.
We don’t play a final every day, that’s what we have to say to ourselves, we don’t play a semi-final every day either, Giovan Oniangue the Orleans captain
After Monaco on Saturday afternoon (92 to 80 loss), leader of Jeep Elite, the Orléanais are now attacking second in the championship in three days, which is still a lot. “These are fights but we are here for that”, smiles Giovan Oniangue. “I think we have the team made for, we showed that we had a big character and heart against Monaco, it is up to us not to be in reaction against Dijon, rather to be in action and go from the first minute to battle “, completes the captain who has already played a final in his career and who won it in 2013 with Paris Levallois.
“We don’t play a final every day, that’s what you have to say to yourself, we don’t play a semi-final every day either, we know it’s an opportunity for us”, adds the Orleans winger. “We know that we are not one of the best teams in the championship compared to other big teams who are claiming the title” esteem a Giovan Oniangue realistic but not defeatist no more. “At the start of the season, we were in the race for maintenance, since then we have come our way and now we hope to aim a little higher, the easiest way to win a title today is the Cup from France, the ingredients are determination and motivation and we will try to get this final for the club. “
It will still be delicate for the OLB because Dijon did not play last weekend, its last match dates back to March 30 and its victory against Gravelines at home, so the Dijonnais will be a little cooler. The JDA carbide at home and only lost two matches since January 21, 2020 but not so long ago, remember it was March 16, the Orleanais had come at the end of this Dijon team, a 74 to 69 victory but had lost two major players to injury. Proof that anything is possible!
Match to live live and in full
This semi-final is to follow live and in full on France Bleu Orléans from 7:30 p.m. this Tuesday evening, with our consultant Johan Blot, former OLB captain. Kick-off at 8 p.m. at the Palais des sports in Dijon.
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