In front of the packed grandstand of the Auguste-Delaune stadium, the Bobigny players, beaten by Rennes (0-4), received the well-deserved congratulations of the many public. For this quarter-final of Gambardella, we played sold out with more than 1,000 spectators. About 100 people remained outside the stadium. Despite a score that does not reflect the physiognomy of the match, the Bobigny U18s had a “magnificent day” as captain Arnaud Akué Adotevi points out. “We were at the stadium from 10 a.m., we had breakfast together, we will only really keep good memories,” continues the central defender.
Mahamé Siby, one of the managers of Paris FC (L 2) who was trained and grew up in Bobigny, had sent them a message of encouragement by video. The young 28-year-old coach, Karim Mazeghrane, had led a moving talk. “When I see Brayan going to work after football, some who were still playing in the district two years ago, I have a lot more respect for you than for any other player who will be in front. You have much more merit than them. Because we are in real life. My only example is my father who got up at 2 a.m. to go to the market. I don’t care if I have pros across the way who get money. »
“We did not manage to materialize our highlights”
Rennes indeed came with the “big armada” to Bobigny. Starting with Mathys Tel (born in 2005), a native of Sarcelles who played for Villiers-le-Bel, Paris FC, Jeunesse Aubervilliers and Montrouge in the Paris region. At 16, the striker is already a pro. This season, he has made five appearances in L 1 and two in the Europa League Conference. He offered himself a double (41st, 81st) just like Wilson Samake (44th, 79th), who grew up in Val-de-Marne and evolved at AS Orly and CFF Paris.
“We did not focus on them, explains Arnaud Akué Adotevi. It is true that they are strong. But, on the ground, they were not above. They are on top of details, things they work on every day in their training center, unlike us. We are disappointed but we are also proud of our match and our journey. We never lowered our heads. »
Without an exceptional save from Rennes goalkeeper Yann Batola on a header from Ange Asseko Mbogo (25th), Bobigny would indeed have deserved to open the scoring. And given the big atmosphere that reigned around the field, the match would then have taken another turn. “Unlike them, we did not manage to achieve our highlights, regrets coach Karim Mazeghrane. The scenario and the score are cruel. But I’m proud of them. It’s a match that will make us grow. Rennes brought down the pros, it shows that they feared us a little. There was a nice atmosphere, warm, not at all hostile. This is the image of Bobigny. »
Supporting rapper Sefyu
“It was really a great celebration for the club and the city. It shows that things are working well here. They had a great match, the score is too heavy, ”regrets Mahamé Siby, the midfielder of Paris FC. In its project of formation and unification of the clubs of the department, it is a match which will nevertheless count in the future development of FC93. After Bagnolet and Gagny, other cities will soon join the project of Bobigny and its president Mahamadou Niakaté.
In the clubhouse, rapper Sefyu went from guest to guest. For a few months, the former footballer has been involved in the FC 93 project. “I work with the president to develop the club’s image, he explains. My goal is to move Seine-Saint-Denis to the center of Paris. I do it through FC 93 which I help with my network. What happened today will remain as a strong mark. A team of 93 in the quarter-finals of the Gambardella that many great players won, it’s a date that will go down in history. This match, we had won it before playing it. The public responded present, there was a beautiful communion, we are really happy with the event. It’s the start of something big. »
