The draw for the 6th round of the Coupe de France took place on Monday, October 16th in Toulouse. Twenty clubs from Occitanie were still in the competition, including five from Gard. Vauvert struck gold by being paired with Nîmes Olympique, a team four divisions above them. The matches will be played on the weekend of October 28th.
Kamel El Mahrouk, president and player of Vauvert, Regional 2, who will host Nîmes Olympique, said: « We wanted the smallest or the biggest. We got the biggest! It’s magnificent, but it will give us a lot of work (for the organization, note). As a competitor, I was hoping for a club within our reach to have the best chances of going far. It’s great to have a successful journey in the Coupe de France. Personally, I reached the round of 16 with Sète and the round of 32 with Lattes. At our club, Rémy Bonne reached the quarterfinals with Lens. I hope we can play on our home ground. We have several players who have played for Nîmes Olympique: Abbaoui, who was captain of the reserve team, Botella, Hamouche, Bonne… And on top of that, we have René Girard, a former great player of NO, who is from Vauvert! »
Frédéric Bompard, the coach of Nîmes in the National league, who will go to Vauvert, expressed his satisfaction with the upcoming match. He mentioned that it is a perfect situation for him as the distance to travel is only 20 kilometers, compared to the previous 10-hour bus journey to Gers. He hopes that it will be a celebration of football in the Gard region. The only drawback is that they might have to play on Sunday afternoon because they want to make it a special event, while their next league match is scheduled for Friday against Epinal on November 3rd.
Hakim Malek, the coach of Alès in National 2, who will host Beaucaire, expressed his hope for a favorable draw with the smallest possible challenge. He mentioned that this match is another derby, following Sumène and Rousson, which implies that it could be a tough game with potential consequences for the championship. There are various factors at play, including external stakes and local dominance. However, he emphasized the importance of playing at Pibarot and assured that his team will give their all. He acknowledged the strength of the opposing team, stating that they have a talented squad capable of competing in higher divisions. In his view, the match is evenly balanced at 50-50. He also mentioned the recent upset where Fos, a team from National 3, defeated Toulon, who are in National 2.
Sofyan Carletta, the coach of Beaucaire in National 3, who will be going to Alès, said: « We will have to go and create a miracle at their place… We would have preferred the same match, but at home. We have nothing to lose. For us, this match is already tomorrow, as it is the next one, since we are exempt from the championship this weekend. »
Christophe Peytavin, president of Uchaud in Regional 2, is expected to travel to Lavernose in Regional 3, even though the Lavernose – Saint-Sulpice match did not finish. He states, « We won’t complain even though we would have liked to be in Vauvert’s position. But from a sporting perspective, it’s probably the most favorable draw, as we will be playing against the underdog of Occitanie. Lavernose was leading 2-1 against Saint-Sulpice (R2) when their match was stopped in the 89th minute due to clashes between players and supporters… Saint-Sulpice refused to resume the game, so Lavernose should be awarded the win. It’s a long journey, near Toulouse (and Muret), but we will go there with joy and good spirits, doing everything we can to increase our chances. Unlike our opponent this weekend, Séméac, who arrived just an hour before kickoff… If we have to stay overnight before the match, we will do it. The club has always failed at the 6th round. That’s our record. We will finally try to overcome it. »
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