For his first trip, the SM Caen finds Niort with whom he had to fight at the end of last season to avoid eighteenth place and the barrage position.
Caen footballers, crowned witha first large victory against Rodez ( 4-0) will seek to confirm without losing sight of what made them successful last week.
The sentence: “We must keep a lot of humility”
“There was a lot of praise and praise after this game and I know for a fact that when it’s like that it’s great to hear and read, notes the Caen coach Stéphane Moulin. But we must not let ourselves be lulled into sweet illusions. it is up to us to mark this path so that there is no disappointment.
To have seen the Niort team play, it is a team that has quality. They are undefeated since the start of the season also in the preparation matches and their first league game.
Anyway, whatever the size of last week’s victory, we have to keep a lot of humility and I warned the players that we were going to have a difficult game. “
The adversary
Kept on the razor’s edge for the past two seasons (Eighteenth in 2020 and 2021), the Chamois Niortais rarely succeed for Caen footballers. Over the past twenty-two seasons, Stade Malherbe won only once (3-0 in September 2003 and a third goal for sporting director Yohann Eudeline) for five draws and four losses. The last confrontation last season in Niort ended in a painful setback (3-0).
The workforce: Caleb Zady Séry absent
Midfielder Caleb Zady Séry, victim of a “small muscle injury” will be absent from the trip to Niort. “This is the very bad news of the week, deplores Stéphane Moulin. We can already imagine that he will not be there the next two games. It’s a big loss because since the preparation matches, he’s one of the strong players in the team. “ He is replaced among the 18 Caen by Loup Hervieu
The attacking midfielder Andréas Hountondji, preserved for certain sessions of the week, is on the other hand apt. “It should be okay. It was reassuring on this weekend.”
Stéphane Moulin could be tempted to start from the start Steve Shamal on the side and Franklin Wadja in low point by modifying his pattern of play but the Caen coach gives himself the night to decide.
Ali Abdi will play with the Caen reserve in a friendly against the Nantes reserve this Saturday. “Today, it would not be good for him or for us to start him when he is not ready”, explains his coach.
Referee: Mr. Abdelatif Kherradji
For the second time in his career, Mr. Abdelatif Kherradji (35 years old) will referee a meeting of SM Caen. He had been on the whistle last season when receiving Paris FC (0-2).
The SM Caen group
The 18 players selected: Rémy Riou and Sullivan Péan – Aloys Fouda, Prince Oniangué, Yoël Armougom, Brahim Traoré and Jonathan Rivierez – Anthony Gonçalves, Jessy Deminguet, Loup Hervieu, Franklin Wadja, Yoann Court, Johann Lepenant and Steve Shamal – Benjamin Jeannot, Alexandre Mendy, Andréas Hountji and Zeidane Innoussa.
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