All profit for Essor, with whom the former TEF coach made his debut successfully, by bringing new ideas, another working method and above all, a lot of rigor and firmness. His trademark. “It was one of the wishes of the Essor committee: to rebuild a group by restoring a little discipline and at the same time an atmosphere which inevitably suffers when we accumulate defeats as was the case in Regional 2. I can hardly hide that I am demanding, harsh, even harsh, and this can sometimes be unpleasant. But I am also honest and fair. When you arrive with such strict principles, you must be able to favor dialogue and exchange as much as possible with your group. This is what I strive to do. I thus began the first individual interviews because I believe that it is essential to discuss things directly with everyone to explain the choices. So far it’s working pretty well and my daughters are very receptive.”
“Great working atmosphere”
The results confirm in any case that the mayonnaise sets. With the exception of a short setback to La Docherie, one of the province’s big names, the Templeuvoises won everything, knocking out Colfontaine (at home) then Pont-de-Loup and Courcelles twice! And the team has a famous margin for improvement that Mehdi intends to exploit. “Playing a campaign with a group of fifteen from the start is far from easy. No more than playing personals with twelve girls on the sheet. This means that when the entire squad is available, I have to rest three players. And it goes without saying that we don’t know how to distribute playing time fairly between the twelve players. On the other hand, the four young people from Wapiti bring a real breath of freshness, energy, desire, and that is inevitably beneficial. Just like the arrival of Ioline Cousaert, who brings a lot more in terms of quality. It’s up to me to manage this competition as best as possible. But when I see the elders constantly supporting, encouraging and advising the younger ones, I am optimistic for the future.” An optimism that is justified. “So far, the victories have been coming one after another, which makes things easier. The girls work very well in training and the atmosphere is ideal. It’s a virtuous circle, we give everything, we win, and when we win on the weekend, we give everything during the week!”
To be confirmed from Sunday in Colfontaine.
“No pressure from my leaders”
Mehdi Benghanem makes no secret of it, he is delighted to have joined Essor, even if the distance which separates Satta from his home made him hesitate. “I put in 130 km round trip each time but I have no regrets. I feel the Templeuvois committee behind me and the leaders have not put any pressure on my shoulders. No obligation to play-off or anything it’s in figures. This suits me perfectly since we can attack each meeting with a big desire to win but without worrying.”
The Borderers still have a good chance to play (or two!). “For the championship, we will notify in several months. We just have to give our best every weekend and we will let you know in due time. In terms of cup, I consider that if we win at Femina Docherie in two weeks, we will have taken a big step towards the final. But I’m not drawing any plans on the comet either.“
It is true that the semi-final which would loom against Mons or Soignies does not seem insurmountable.
