Football: in the Gard-Lozère Cup, ''the'' David attacks Goliath

Hassiba Atmani (Midi Libre secretary) was lucky for some. Less for others… FREE MIDI – ERIC DELANZY

Thursday March 21, at the Midi Libre agency in Nîmes, the draw for the Gard-Lozère and André-Granier Cup semi-finals was made. In the main event, there will be a D2 in the final, Moussac receiving Fourques. Aigues-Mortes (R1), designated favorite to go to the end, will already have to qualify at La Grand-Combe (D1).

In 1953, La Grand-Combe was the first club to register its name on the Gard-Lozère Cup prize list. In the following century, will Stade Sainte-Barbe stand out again ? ''We wanted to avoid Aigues-Mortes in the final, explained SSB president Yavuz Akan afterwards the draw therefore having offered him the 2nd of R1, and favorite for his own succession. If we have to win them, it will be in the semi-final at home. If it's to go to the final and lose…''

A Gard-Lozère Cup so dear to clubs

Whatever the stage of the event, the Stadium wants to be there. ''We're waiting for Aigues-Mortes…'', slipped, with a smile, the Grand-Combien to Salinier Michel Causera, present at the draw. ''Knowing the coach (if he wins this edition, Yohan Borg will be the only one with 5 trophies in this Cup), I think he won't do the same thing. deadlock and will not take players from the reserve, recalls the leader of the USSA. The objective is to go to the end even if, at the beginning, it was not the objective to play it.''

A Gard-Lozère Cup so special and expensive for the clubs of the department. ''For us, it’s really the Coupe spirit, a sort of mini-Coupe de France, we see people happy to play it, rejoices Francis Enjolras, president of the Gard-Lozère District. For clubs, this is very important. Winning the Gard-Lozère Cup is a title.''

Alexis Maurin (president of Fourques): ''The door is ajar, it's up to us to open it completely& ;#39;'

A trophy that Fourques (D2) has already eyed in 2023, stopped in the half by Uchaud (R2). ''The players have this Cup within them, reported its president, Alexis Maurin, the day after a new feat for the OF (qualification on penalties) against Nîmes Chemin-Bas (R2) in the quarter-final. Of course, we are going to Moussac but we are going there to qualify. The door is ajar, it's up to us to open it completely.''
For Fourques, the challenge promises to be significant. Because Moussac, leader with an 11-point lead in D2, doesn't really know what losing means this season (1 defeat). Adrien Devuono's men, winners (2-1) at Fourques in the championship, are full of confidence. ''Little by little, we got into the game of the Cup and, now, we can have it in our heads, explains the coach. The final is not far away but it is a match to be played.''

André-Granier Cup: semi-finals; Canabier (D2) – Saint-Martin-de-Valgégales (D2) or Vézenobres (D2). Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas (D3) – Val-de-Cèze (D1). The matches will be played on March 30, 31 or April 1.