Les Verts go forward again

David Le Moal's little “Verts” were not in the best of spirits last weekend, and their defeat at the hands of ASPTT Marseille was a logical consequence, but they responded well this Sunday against Nîmes Olympique. The Gard outfit, who were struggling in the standings but had won the first leg, posed ASSE some problems. From the very first kick of the game, Daniel Epanya took advantage of some good work by Noham Aini to open the scoring (ASSE 1-0 Nîmes, 1st). But the visitors were not to be denied! With their heads held high, they won a penalty on the quarter-hour mark, only to see Stéphanois goalkeeper Maël Massé turn it away (17th). Their joy was short-lived, however, as Nîmes equalized within a minute (ASSE 1-1 Nîmes, 18th). Shaken, the Greens rallied at the end of the first half, but were unable to regain the lead.

After the break, the second half continued to be dominated by duels and contact. The Greens tried to break Nîmes' stranglehold on the game, as Nathan Mouton did when his thwarted cross hit the visitors' post (65th). ASSE finally scored a second goal in the final quarter of an hour. Noham Aini struck from the right flank, only to see the Nîmes keeper push the ball back into the net... and Daniel Epanya, lying in wait, pushed the ball into the back of the net (ASSE 2-1 Nîmes, 73rd).Serious right to the end, Les Verts held on to claim their first win of 2025!  Now in the lead, they are still seven points clear of their pursuers, Monaco.

Coach's reaction

“It was a gripping match, with one goal after another. It took a long time to settle in, but beyond the victory, I'm pleased to have seen my players step up to the plate and turn up the aggression. The match was a bit disjointed, but in terms of commitment, we've moved on from last weekend. I'm also pleased for Daniel (Epanya), who scored a brace today after scoring very few goals in the first half,” commented David Le Moal.

Match report

ASSE 2-1 Nîmes Olympique

This Sunday, January 26 at Georges-Bereta (1:15pm)

Half-time: 1-1

Goals: Epanya (1st, 73rd) for ASSE; Bouakel (17th) for Nîmes

ASSE: Massé - Teillol, Mnemoi, Kasia, Lengue - N. Mouton, Ait Amer, Traoré (then Mansouri, 46th) - Aini, Epanya, Toty (then Nativoha, 66th). Coach: David Le Moal.

Daniel Epanya, auteur d'un doublé avec les U17 Nationaux face à Nîmes