Unlike its condemned rival, the Coupe de la Ligue which will die at the end of the season after 26 years of existence, the Coupe de France is still dashing despite its 103e editing. The only competition that brings together amateur and professional footballers, it traditionally offers its share of emotions and surprises.
Saturday, January 4, the Jeunesse sportive Saint-Pierroise became the second overseas club to join the 16es final dominating Niort (2-1). In the first duel between Ligue 1 clubs, Monaco and their new Spanish coach Robert Moreno eliminated Reims (2-1).
A minute of silence or applause was observed on all the lawns in tribute to the Guingamp player Nathaël Julan, who died suddenly the night before in a road accident, at the age of 23.
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Niort-Saint-Pierroise: 1-2
The Jeunesse sportive Saint-Pierroise has achieved the first feat of these 32es final. The Saint-Pierre club, Reunion sub-prefecture, has become the first on the island to qualify for the 16es finals of the Coupe de France. By beating Niort (Ligue 2), Saint-Pierroise is only the second ultramarine club in history to join this stage of the competition, thirty-one years after the Guyanese of Geldar de Kourou.
The goals of the Reunionese were scored by Gérard Hubert (59e) and Ryan Ponti (76e) while the Niortais had equalized by a goal against his side of the Malagasy Gervais Randrianarisoa (63e).
The most successful club on the island of the Indian Ocean (21 times including the last five), the JS Saint-Pierroise has counted among its ranks prestigious players: the local Guillaume Hoareau, Florent Sinama-Pongolle or Dimitri Payet but also more unexpected players like the Cameroonian Roger Milla (1989-1990), the Yugoslavian Tony Kurbos (1991) or even Jean-Pierre Papin (1999-2001).
Robert Moreno's Monegasque adventure begins with a 2 to 1 victory, snatched in extremis after stoppage time by a second goal from Keita Baldé (94e). Failing to be impressed by the way, the team of the new Spanish coach of the ASM showed courage and efficiency to get rid of Reims, who had missed a penalty a few minutes earlier by Moussa Doumbia (86e). The Monegasques had opened the scoring by the same Baldé (61e) before Boulaye Dia equalizes (69e).
Tours-Nîmes: 2-2 (2 shots on goal to 4)
Badly hit in Ligue 1 (19e), the Nîmes suffered for their entry into the Coupe de France, but they obtained their qualification on penalties. Nîmes led twice, thanks to a first goal by Anthony Briançon (24e) and a second by Renaud Ripart (51e). Each time, the Crocodiles saw their opponent from National 3 (fifth division) return to the game. After a scoreless overtime, the professionals were the strongest during the penalty shootout (4-2).
Le Portel-Strasbourg: 1-4
The Strasbourg people hardly trembled during their trip to Calais, at the Stade de l'Epopée (reference to the course of the local club finalist in the 2000 edition), to face Le Portel, a neighboring town of less than 10,000 inhabitants. .
Benjamin Corgnet had early opened the scoring for Alsatian professionals (3e) before Gaëtan Bultel provisionally equalizes for the National 3 club (35e). It’s finally striker Kévin Zohi thanks to a magnificent double (acrobatic chisel at 59e and coiled typing at 65e) and Adrien Lebeau from the penalty spot (86e), who gave the victory to the Racing club of Strasbourg.
After a serious and ingenious match, Nantes's Christian Gourcuff provided the essentials during a trip to the Basque Country against the Rowing Bayonnais, a resident of National 3. Nantes joined the 16es thanks to goals from Kalifa Coulibaly (13e) and Mehdi Abeid (90+ 4 e).
Friday, the Girondins de Bordeaux were the first to get their ticket for the 16es final. The Bordelais regained victory after a black streak of four losses in December. Thanks to a penalty transformed by Jimmy Briand (53e) and a final goal from Toma Basic in time out (90e + 5), Paulo Sousa’s team won 2-0 against Ligue 2 club Le Mans.
Versailles-Granville: 1-2; Guichen-Caen: 1-2; Fabrègues-Paris FC: 0-2
