The DFCO did not have much time to celebrate its great victory against Nancy on Monday. Immediately, eyes are focused on the following match, Friday March 1, 2024, traveling to Cholet, at the bottom of the league, for the 23rd day of the National. The objective is clear: to win, and in a manner if possible, to continue to reassure yourself, (re)find regularity, and maintain 4th place in the ranking.
Temanfo should not be a starter
A hard blow for the DFCO in the defensive sector: Arnold Temanfo is uncertain. The central defender, who came out during the match on Monday against Nancy, suffers from adductor pain. “We’re going to take him, but he’s not sure he’ll start,” informs his coach, Benoit Tavenot, indicating that the player took two days off before resuming training this Thursday. Not seeing Temanfo is a rarity, as the former Annecy player seems essential this season: a 21-time starter, he has only missed one match in the league (in Martigues, 3-1 defeat by Dijon).
In addition to that of Daniel Congré, another package: that of attacker Joseph Mendes. Coming into play against Villefranche in mid-February after four months of absence, he relapsed. “He cannot regain his feelings, to his great regret and to our great regret. We went back two months”, deplores Benoit Tavenot. The Dijon coach who takes almost the same group as Monday in Maine-et-Loire, with the exception of the second goalkeeper position, with Allagbé who is replaced by Montfort.
Mohamed Ben Fredj and Yanis Chahid remain in Dijon. Just like Walid Nassi, still in the recovery phase. Young Hamada and Duville-Parsemain are on the trip.
Read also
The 15/02/2024
National – DFCO: Mohamed Ben Fredj, “insufficient” performance
The DFCO group for the trip to Cholet
Goalkeepers: Montfort, Risser
Defenders: Ariss, Cisse, Drouhin, Matungu, Moco, Temanfo
Midfielders: Etoga, Hamada, Married, Souici, Soumaré
Attackers: Ben Fredj, Fdaouch, Irié, Parsemain, Schur
The difficulty of making a series
While there are “only” twelve days of the championship left – or 36 points to distribute – the DFCO seems condemned to an almost flawless performance. A possible return to Ligue 2 will only take place if Dijon manages to have a series of victories. A phenomenon that is too rare so far this season. This has only happened twice: three consecutive victories in November (Versailles, Orléans, Red Star), and in January/February (GOAL FC and Avranches).
“If we want to have an interesting end to the season, we have to know how to take points fairly quickly”, admits Benoit Tavenot. In the event of a victory in Cholet, the DFCO would be assured of retaining 4th place, just off the podium.
Cholet, already condemned?
In this season with six descents, the future of Cholet already seems to be written in National 2 for next season. The Maine-et-Loire club is last, with only 14 points taken in 22 matches. The gap with the first non-relegation team, nine points, seems immense.
A telling figure: Cholet has only one victory in the last fifteen matches, and has not won since the beginning of November (against GOAL FC).
Despite this, Dijon must not arrive with too much confidence. “The start always comes, I don’t say to myself “we’re going to get to the last ones”assure Benoit Tavenot. In their last three games, they have had a lot of chances, they have a very interesting offensive force, they are dynamic defensively. I found a team that had nothing to do with 14 points.”.
The first leg, a bad memory
In the first leg, DFCO lost at home, 1-0 against Cholet. A meeting which can symbolize certain difficulties of the team this season. A DFCO that was not realistic enough from the outset, like this failed face-to-face meeting with Walid Nassi. A goal conceded too early in the match (in the 9th, on a shot from outside the area), an opponent who regroups, and a Dijon team which no longer finds solutions, breaking its teeth on defense and the Guardian.
J7 | Dijon FCO – SO Cholet (0-1), summary | National FFF 2023-2024
- Follow the match in full on France Bleu Bourgogne, Friday March 1, 2024, from 7 p.m. for the pre-match, live from the Stade Pierre-Blouen in Cholet.
2024-02-29 19:48:26
#National #D23 #DFCO #among #Cholet #regain #regularity #France #Bleu
