“They blew us all away”: the feat of Olympique Strasbourg fans in the Coupe de France

Colin Abgrall, with AFP 2:46 p.m., January 08, 2023

Fans of FC Olympique Strasbourg Koenigshoffen 1906 (Regional 1, 6th division) created a sensation by beating (0-0, 4 pens to 3) Clermont, 9th in Ligue 1, on Saturday in the 32nd final of the Coupe de France.

In front of 3,000 spectators massed in the small Emile-Stahl stadium, the Strasbourg residents held the 0-0 without ever really suffering despite the five divisions difference and it was Samuel Kekambus who scored the winning shot on goal after a breathless session and thus sent the Alsatian amateur club to the round of 16.

"It's just wonderful"

The Clermontois Jim Allevinah and Baïla Diallo missed their shot on goal, which proved enough to fill this small neighborhood club with happiness, 2nd in its Regional 1 group. Clermont, winner in Lyon in L1 on January 1 ( 1-0), never gained the upper hand over brave Strasbourg, who from the first to the last minute bravely played their luck without however creating a real clear chance, except on a header from 'Ivan Herceg (58th) captured without concern by the Auvergne goalkeeper.

>> READ ALSO

- Coupe de France: after a few scares against Châteauroux, PSG qualifies for the 16th finals

At the microphone of Europe 1, the coach of the amateur club Amar Ferdjani admits that his players "bluffed" him.

"It's just magnificent. The main strength of this group is that they have a monumental strength of character", greets the Strasbourg coach, who draws a parallel with the professional teams.

"We train three times a week. (The players) all work, or they all study, or unfortunately some are unemployed. There is not a player who is employed and who lives from football with us, so it is to their credit to have been able to achieve what they have done", underlines the coach of Olympique Strasbourg, already the beautiful story of this competition.