Football: the two loanees Simon (OM) and Ali Abdallah (Strasbourg), who are the highest rated Crocos at the start of the season ?

Le gardien Simon Ngapandouetnbu, prêté par l’OM, meilleur Croco pour l’instant. Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

National. État des lieux collectif et individuel avant la 9e journée et le déplacement à Dijon, vendredi 18 octobre (19 h 30).

What is it, a balance sheet… For Nîmes, it is due to a penalty in the last minute of the last league match against Sochaux (1-1). A penalty that should not have been whistled since the French Football Federation (FFF) canceled Camara's red card for a handball on his goal line, while the ball first hit his face.

Without this penalty, NO would probably have won 1-0, would have 11 points in 8 games, would be joint 6th and would be preparing to play a top-of-the-table match in Dijon (precisely 6th) this Friday. Without this penalty, the start of the season would therefore be considered rather successful.

With one penalty away…

With this penalty for the Lionceaux's equalizer &ndash “I would have preferred that they let me have the red card and that they give us back the two lost points”, regrets Camara – it is rather missed. Because the Crocos are 9th, therefore last in the first half of the ranking or first in the second, as you wish, since the National only has 17 teams.

And if there were 6 relegations like the previous season, they would only be one length ahead of the relegation candidates. What's more, having played one more match than the five teams that are behind them…

We will therefore have to do better, in accounting terms, collectively and individually. As has been the case for many years, Midi Libre rates the Gard players during each match. In these assessments, out of 10 (3 is bad, 4 is insufficient, 5 is average, 6 is good, 7 is very good, 8 is exceptional…), there is a degree of subjectivity. We can be wrong in our judgment of a match. But on an average, like here after 8 days, or a quarter of the championship, it becomes much more significant.

The two best, the two on loan

And the two best Nîmes players are, it's no surprise, goalkeeper Simon Ngapandouetnbu and striker Aboubacar Ali Abdallah. The only two players in the squad on loan from L1 clubs (OM and Strasbourg). And the only two in the selection in recent days, Ali Abdallah having taken advantage to give the victory to France U19 against Belgium (goal of 3-2, 88th minute).

The bulletin, after a quarter of the championship MIDI LIBRE – ANTOINE LLOP

The two other Crocodiles who accompany them on the podium, tied, were not expected at this level. But Jérémy Iafrate and Salim Akkal, more complements than regulars, were rather consistent when Adil Hermach called on them. The first four are therefore recruits, just like the “summer hits” (see above), those who distinguished themselves in August, like the scorer Oussama Abdeldjelil (3 goals).

Which means that the key players from last season, who were expected to pull the group up, are not responding enough for the moment, as their coach had pointed out after the professional foul in Concarneau (1-0 defeat at 11 against 9 Bretons). Even if Jonathan Mexique, 2nd Gardois of the autumn with Abdallah behind Simon, is gaining momentum.

But the four flops are four old ones, the captain Formose Mendy, his hinge partner Waly Diouf, the returning Brahima Doukansy and Ismaël Camara, Hamza Sbaï having lost his place. Have we been too harsh with them? ? See you at the next report card, at the end of the first half, hoping that they will have proven us wrong.

The latest echoes of the Crocos

WHO IN LEFT SIDE ? Namakoro Diallo, who left for Quevilly-Rouen on September 30, was Mehdi Beneddine's natural replacement at left-back. On Friday, in Dijon, with the suspension of the former captain of Le Puy (another suspended, midfielder Akkal), coach Adil Hermach will have to reinvent himself. It was not Wednesday's session, open to the public, that taught us more, as no preparations were made. If the left-handed Dagui Paviot, used in the axis, can replace on the left, the crocodile technician also has the possibility of switching Ronny Labonne from right to left (if necessary, Iafrate or Sbaï to replace him), or even of keeping Gauthier Laurens in his position, used as a full-back, last Saturday, during the success (4-1) at Aimargues (R2), in the Coupe de France. First elements of an answer, this Thursday at the end of the morning, during the press conference ? More surely, Friday, no doubt, match day.

FAN – Wednesday morning was the only session of the week open to the public at the Bastide. And it goes without saying that young Maël, 5 years old, wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world, as an absolute fan… of Ismaël Camara. After the victory against Versailles, the player gave him his jersey. This Wednesday, Maël proudly wore it. The jersey was signed by the 22 (plus 3 goalkeepers) Crocos present. Only Mendy, who remained in the room, and the internationals – goalkeeper Simon (Cameroon) and Ali – expected the same day, were absent.

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