News: French League Preview
| European League Preview | |||||||||
| French League Preview | |||||||||
| August 10, 2007 | |||||||||
|
France has kicked off its new season with the focus firmly on the possibility of ending the six-year reign of Olympique Lyon as champions. Lyon, whose coach Gerard Houllier, departed at the end of the campaign despite winning Ligue 1, are looking to 18-milion Euro signing Abdelkader Keita to keep them at the top. Cote d’Ivoire's Keita joins from Lille, brought in to replace the creativity lost by the sale of Florent Malouda to English club Chelsea. Racing Lens have employed veteran coach Guy Roux in their bid to again challenge Lyon and with Roux have come two more Ivorian World Cup |
| ||||||||
|
squad members, Bonaventure Kalou and Kanga Akale. Both previously played with him at Auxerre. Last year's runners-up, Olympique Marseille also made headlines during a quiet close season, notably purchasing skilful Algeria midfielder Karim Ziani from Sochaux. Other contenders include Girondins Bordeaux, with their rock-solid defence and traditional frontrunners Monaco and Paris St Germain, who will be determined to make amends for their disastrous runs last season. There are 155 African players registered in the Ligue 1, with the majority of the national team players from Cote D’ivoire and Senegal playing their trade in France. AFRICAN PLAYERS IN LIGUE 1 FRANCE First Division Auxerre: Alain Traore (Burkina Faso), Cecil Filanckembo, Oxence Mbani, Delvin Ndinga, Jules Ondjola (Congo), Kamel Chafni (Morocco), Issa Ba (Senegal) Bordeaux: Bruno Ecouélé (Gabon), Cheick Tidiane Diabate, Abdou Traore (Mali), Marouane Chamakh, Fouad Dahmoun (Morocco), Souleymane Diawara (Senegal), Floyd Ayite, Jonathan Ayite (Togo), David Jemmali (Tunisia) Caen: Brahim Thiam (Mali), Issam Jomaa (Tunisia) Le Mans: Hassan Yebda (Algeria), Stephane Sessegnon (Benin), Gervais Yao Kouassi, Christian Koffi Ndri (Cote d’Ivoire), Ibrahima Sory Camara, Kemoko Toure (Guinea), Alphousseyni Keita, Modibo Maiga (Mali), Brahim Bahri (Morocco), Ekhousuehi Edorisi (Nigeria), Jonathan Tokple (Togo) | |||||||||
| |||||||||
|
Marseille: Salim Arrache, Mehdi Sennaoui, Karim Ziani (Algeria), Amara Konate (Burkina Faso), Dede Ayew (Ghana), Medhi Benatia (Morocco), Wilson Oruma, Taye Taiwoo (Nigeria), Habib Beye, Leyti Ndiaye, Mamadou Niang (Senegal) Metz: Delgado (Angola), Sebastien Bassong, Gatean Bong, Joslain Mayebi (Cameroon), Thierry Makengo (DR Congo), Papis Demba Cisse, Mamadou Diakite, Pape Malik Diop, Dino Djiba, Babacar Gueye, Cheikh Matar Gueye, Victor Mendy, Momar Ndiaye, Oumar Sissokho (Senegal), Mamam Cherif Toure (Togo) Monaco: Modeste Mbami, Salomom Olembe (Cameroon), Massamba Lo Sambou (Senegal), Yannick Sagbo (Togo), Loussaïef Helmi (Tunisia) Nancy: Joel Landry Nguemo, Patrick Ntolla (Cameroon), Chris Malonga (Congo), Abdoulaye Khouma Keita (Cote d’Ivoire), Mickael Chretien, Youssouf Hadji, Moncef Zerka (Morocco), Issiar Dia (Senegal) Nice: Bakari Kone (Cote d’Ivoire), Derek Asamoah, Mohamed Yahaya (Ghana), Drissa Diakite, Cedric Kante, Mahamane Traore (Mali), Onyekachi Apam (Nigeria) | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| St Etienne: Rudolph Douala (Cameroon), Siaka Tiene (Cote d’Ivoire), Pascal Feindouno (Guinea), Fousseiny Diawara (Mali), Nabil El Zhar, Samy Houri (Morocco), Mouhamadou Dabo, Batefimbi Gomis, Bayal Sall (Senegal), Yohan Ben Alouane (Tunisia) | |||||||||
| |||||||||
 |
Back to News |
