Valenciennes

[ChristopheVAFC]

End of the match and no goals and no winners tonight. 🫣

Hard to hope for better tonight...

Enjoy the rest of the evening.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

VA's last 15 minutes mirrored LBC's opening 15. Both defences needed to head clear to avoid easy head ins from incoming attackers, and both put in a shot that brought out a save.

As one of the League favourites , VA won't be striking terror into too many from that opening performance.

Both sides' final deliveries and shots were well below where they should be. There wasn't much in the way of good passing moves, with LBC probably coming out on top there.

VA can look to finishing the stronger, but still need to gel and improve.

Rento had a fairly lively 10 mins or so. He looked quicker than most, and nearly put a ball across the face of goal for a tap in. We'll be seeing more of him in upcoming games.

[BARCELONASAINT]

Did the young Cameroon player Moursou feature tonight, i hear he's off to play in America!

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello, friends!

I hope everyone is doing well?

Today, Valenciennes returns home to the Stade du Hainaut to host Le Puy Foot, which was promoted to the National division this season.

The goal is simple: to get our first win of the season. On paper, it's possible, but now we have to do the work on the pitch tonight!

Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. French time, as usual.

Link to the match:

The squad for tonight:

 

Goalkeepers:

- Justin Lacombe,

- Jean Louchet

 

Defenders:

- Alexandre Coeff,

- Ahmed Diomandé,

- Alexi Koum,

- Sakhalou Niakaté,

- Romain Thomas,

- Abdelwahed Wahib

 

Midfielders:

- Mabrouk Rouaï,

- Sambou Sissoko,

- Daou Kader Diomandé

 

Forwards:

- Stredair Appuah,

- Samy Baghdadi,

- Lucas Buades,

- Alain Ipiélé,

- Kylian Kouakou,

- Rento Takaoka

 

Have a great day, everyone!

Allez VA !

[ChristopheVAFC]

Press review 1 https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1615309/article/2025-08-14/vafc-face-au-puy-appuah-attendu-courtet-encore-absent

Quote

VAFC: Against Le Puy, Appuah expected, Courtet still absent

It seems that those who are absent are always wrong. VA will play its first home game on Friday against Le Puy without Gaëtan Courtet (ill), Samir Belloumou (injured), Loïck Landre or Derrick Abu (recovery). Stredair Appuah is back after his suspension, however.

Stéphane Moulin had just read out the list of absentees on the eve of the match against Le Puy, and he took pleasure in paraphrasing Jacques Chirac, but in a less vulgar style. Rather than talking about ‘trouble’, the Valenciennes coach preferred to refer to ‘bad news’ which, ‘as is often the case, comes in flocks’. For this first match of the season at Hainaut, the team will once again have to do without Gaëtan Courtet, whom the staff had hoped to play for a few minutes.

Having recovered from his calf injury, the striker had resumed running and even touched the ball again, ‘he was on the right track’. However, he fell ill and has not left the house since the beginning of the week, and ‘I don't know how long it will last’. Samir Belloumou was also catching up on his training. He injured his calf on Wednesday and his absence could last for a while.

Landre and Abu are coming back soon

However, things are looking up for Loïck Landre and Derrick Abu, who are likely to be in contention for a place in the squad for next Friday's trip to Orléans. The former is expected to play the entire match against Reims on Saturday with the reserves. The Englishman could also be involved; he resumed training with his teammates on Thursday.

In the midst of all this, Stéphane Moulin can congratulate himself on the return of Stredair Appuah, who was suspended last week in Châteauroux. There is a good chance that he will be lined up on the right side of the Valenciennes attack on Friday. Another strong possibility is that Kylian Kouakou will start at number 9. The coach recently pointed out that he is still learning. That obviously does not mean that the revelation of last season's end (two goals in six matches), who turned 18 in January, has nothing to offer.

VALENCIENNES – LE PUY, Friday, 7:30 p.m. Watch it on the FFF YouTube channel and on BFM Grand Lille.

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Press review 2 Football : la montée de National en Ligue 2, Alain Ipiélé en connaît les lacets - La Voix du Nord

Quote

Football: National's promotion to Ligue 2, Alain Ipiélé knows the ropes

Alain Ipiélé has already been promoted to Ligue 2 twice with two different clubs, Dunkerque and Martigues. The 27-year-old striker did not sign with Valenciennes to prove the saying wrong. He has learned valuable lessons from his previous successes.

There were real points of convergence between Valenciennes' ‘very exciting sporting project’ and Alain Ipiélé's more personal goal before he signed up. "The fact that the club wanted to return to Ligue 2... That was also my number one goal. Achieving a third promotion is a challenge. " The kind of collective adventure he has already had the chance to experience twice, with Dunkerque in 2023 and Martigues the following year.

‘Hard work is the key.’

So we wanted to know if he had the formula. Nothing magical: ‘Hard work is the key,’ explains the 27-year-old striker. Hard work, self-sacrifice and solidarity are what it takes to rise above such a difficult league. A crossroads where ‘players seeking revenge, eager to prove they belong at this level, and experienced players’ who have made their mark in ‘L2 or higher’ meet.

"For me, it was a dream to become a professional, so I did everything I could to prove I was good enough. It worked. "

When he arrived in Dunkirk in the summer of 2022, Alain Ipiélé still belonged to the first category. He had just completed a successful season with Sainte-Geneviève in N2 (13 goals and 2 assists in 30 matches) and seized the opportunity that presented itself. ‘For me, it was a dream to become a professional, so I did everything I could to prove that I was good enough. It worked.’ Collectively, the road to paradise proved to be more winding: ‘We went through some difficult times.’

A poor run of form in January and February precipitated the departure of Romain Revelli and the arrival of Mathieu Chabert, who told us in June about Alain Ipiélé: "He's the player we need to compete at the top of the table. " The turning point: Dunkerque went on a winning streak, seven games in a row in a month and a half, and stormed to the top of the table.

Three and a half months of fire in Martigues

The following season saw a change of scenery: lacking playing time in L2, the left winger secured a transfer to Martigues, where the team was fighting for the top spots when he arrived at the end of January 2024. "They weren't scoring enough and were counting on me a lot. " The job was done rather well: three goals and six assists in 15 games. Mission accomplished for the Provençaux, who returned to the second national division 22 years after leaving it. The experience was short-lived and even devastating for FCM, whose financial woes had just sent them plummeting to the regional level.

VALENCIENNES – LE PUY, Friday, 7:30 p.m. Watch it on the FFF YouTube channel and on BFM Grand Lille.
 

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Press review from the opposition https://www.leveil.fr/puy-en-velay-43000/sports/sans-son-entraineur-le-puy-foot-s-est-prepare-au-defi-de-valenciennes-le-favori-ultime-du-national_14734107/

Quote

Without their coach, Le Puy Foot prepared for the challenge of Valenciennes, the "ultimate favorite" in the National Championship.

A week after their opening defeat to Sochaux, Le Puy Foot will attempt to score their first points in the National Championship. The Ponots will face Valenciennes this Friday, August 15th, at 7:30 p.m., at their Hainaut stadium.

As a minor player in this championship, Le Puy Foot will be able to witness the full magnitude of the National Championship on Friday evening at a 25,000-seat Hainaut stadium in Valenciennes.

While the northern stadium shouldn't be full, it's still intimidating for a Ponot squad whose majority of players are just discovering their level. "We shouldn't be intimidated. On the contrary, we have to take this as an opportunity," warns Stéphane Dief. "Playing in a big stadium, on a beautiful pitch, I really see it as an opportunity, and we have to seize it." »

Life without Stéphane Dief

The coach undoubtedly had a little more difficulty getting his message across this week. He was busy at Clairefontaine with his BEPF diploma requirements. "I was still able to lead the sessions on Sunday and Monday," he explained. For the rest, Jérémy Sahuc and Romain Philippoteaux, his two assistant coaches, are being prepared to take over in his absence. "The staff is sufficiently expanded and we've made sure things are structured," Stéphane Dief explained, before returning to his group this Thursday evening. "I also have video feedback from the main session and I know that training is going well."

"The score is pretty good, even if we should have limited the technical waste. This match against Sochaux proved that we can be at the same level, but also that small mistakes can be severely punished." » Stéphane Dief

Before heading to the Paris region, the Ciel et Blanc leader had the opportunity to take a closer look at his team's first outing against Sochaux, which saw them lose 1-0 in the dying moments on a largely avoidable penalty. "The first impression we had was confirmed by reviewing the footage. It was also the impression of the people around us, especially the fans," confided Stéphane Dief. "The score is pretty good, even if we should have limited our technical errors. This match proved that we can be at the same level, but also that small mistakes can be severely punished."

A decimated attacking sector

Among the lessons from this match, the Vellaves were also able to observe their lack of efficiency. "In terms of content, we offered more than our opponent, we had more chances, but we stupidly lost the point," lamented the coach from Le Poitiers.

Unfortunately, the attacking sector is decimated. While Marvin Adélaïde is still recovering from his ruptured Achilles tendon, Plamedi Nsingi is still out for at least three weeks after suffering a rib fracture in a warm-up match. To make matters worse, Julien Jacquat is doubtful for the trip to Valenciennes, as he's experiencing thigh pain. "It's annoying because we could use some weapons in that area," sighs Stéphane Dief. "We've seen that offensive freshness can be an asset, especially at the end of matches, whether attacking or defending, in positions where a lot is demanded."

Facing a league powerhouse

Despite these setbacks, Le Puy Foot is hopeful of a strong showing in the North. "If we improve compared to the first match, whether in terms of technical quality or the connection between our offensive and defensive lines, we won't always lose points severely in the 89th minute," believes the Le Puy-en-Velay coach.

The latter knows, however, that the task will be difficult against a monument of French football. "We will face a group built for the top of the table and I believe that they have been designated as the ultimate favorites for promotion to Ligue 2. Measuring up to Valenciennes will be the big challenge of this second day," announces the Vellave technician.

 

[disconnect]

Good to see Rento Takaoka already got some minutes. Kylian Kouakou sounds like an interesting prospect for our multi-club model... Good luck for tonight!

[sockeye]

14 minutes ago, disconnect said:

Good to see Rento Takaoka already got some minutes. 

He’ll have this league on rice.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello from Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes my friends 🙂❤️🤍

[disconnect]

39 minutes ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

Hello from Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes my friends 🙂❤️🤍

What a lovely stadium. Definitely fitting of a Ligue 1 side, hopefully Takaoka, Abu and co can help get Valenciennes back towards where they belong! 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Inside from Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes my friends 🙂❤️🤍

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Half Time: 0-0.

 

[Picard]

On YouTube 

2nd half starts at 7:30

 

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

In the first half, Valenciennes were a little better than their opponents tonight, but they lacked efficiency in front of goal. We knew that because we lacked a quality striker who should be recruited within 15 days.

 

Our opponents had a few chances but we controlled them well. But we still had to be vigilant.

 

Go VA!

[ChristopheVAFC]

Rento comes on for the second half! 😍😍

[ChristopheVAFC]

Goalllll for RENTO TAKAOKA 😍😍😍😍

[Matthew Le God]

 

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Second goal for RENTO 🔥🔥

INCROYABLE 😍😍

[Matthew Le God]

 

 

[SuperSAINT]

Couple of slick finishes. 

[Nolan]

He's surely in the starting eleven next game.

 

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

End of the match !

Win 2-1 😍😍

[Convict Colony]

bro just saw the score and scorer, fucking A.

yes man great result.

[SuperSAINT]

1 minute ago, Convict Colony said:

bro just saw the score and scorer, fucking A.

yes man great result.

The Japanese Michael Owen.

[Nolan]

Great image (he's taller than we thought)

Edited August 15 by Nolan

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Rento was sharp, quick and a finisher. He made the difference. There were few chances, in a game that wasn't slow, just lacking in final delivery.

My heart sank when VA conceded such a poor equaliser, right after taking the lead. Very static defending for their corner.

Let Puy had a couple of glimpses of skill, that got past the VA flanks. But they came to nothing, and VA were happy to keep them to 25 heads, defending that space and preventing Le Pay from breaking through.

Rento wasn't a target man and is clearly raw talent. But nice to have an actual striker with clinical shots.

A first win, of hopefully many.

[SNSUN]

31 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

The Japanese Michael Owen.

Japanese Marian Pahars, if we're being Saints-accurate

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello friends, I hope you are well?

Today is match day for Valenciennes, who are travelling to US Orléans.

After last week's home victory against Le Puy Foot, the goal is to secure another win against a team that lost 5-0 to Sochaux last weekend.

Rento TAKAOKA is travelling with the team and I think he'll get at least 45 minutes of playing time tonight.

Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. French time and, as usual, here's the YouTube link for the match:

Have a great day, everyone, and go VA!

Edited yesterday at 06:32 by ChristopheVAFC

[ChristopheVAFC]

The line-up for Valenciennes has just been announced.

 

RENTO TAKAOKA will start tonight!

Edited 18 hours ago by ChristopheVAFC

[S-Clarke]

1 hour ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

The line-up for Valenciennes has just been announced.

 

RENTO TAKAOKA will start tonight!

Where's Abu out of interest?

[ChristopheVAFC]

Well...

Half-time in Orléans, and Valenciennes are losing 2-0...

It's been a very difficult match overall, we're not posing any threat on the pitch...

I think the coach will have a few things to say in the dressing room at half-time...

Come on VA!

[disconnect]

Didn't watch all of the first half, but Diomande looked fairly decent and Takaoka very lightweight (as I think we knew)

[Toadhall Saint]

Allez me old muckers!

[ChristopheVAFC]

20 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Where's Abu out of interest?

Last week, the local press reported that Abu was ‘on the mend’.

 

He was potentially going to be in the squad tonight, but I think he'll go with the B team this weekend and I think he'll be able to apply for a place in the professional match next week.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

4 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

The line-up for Valenciennes has just been announced.

 

RENTO TAKAOKA will start tonight!

Love the sticker album effect.

Shame about the result. I replayed the closing stages and the highlights. There weren't many chances in a fairly flat game. Nice header to get one back, but not much spark a Ross the side.