The reactions of Maghnes Akliouche and Vanderson after qualification
A victory to bounce back. At the end of a match where it was necessary to go ahead in the second half thanks to an impressive Wissam Ben Yedder, AS Monaco reached the next stage of the Coupe de France by winning in Rodez (1-3). It was a qualification that Maghnes Akliouche and Vanderson spoke about after the match. 🎙️
Good evening Maghnes. You qualified thanks to a big night from Wissam Ben Yedder…
It’s true, today he had a great match, scoring three goals. He helped us a lot on the pitch, as usual and we know that he is very effective in front of goal. He is a very important player for us, and we are happy for him tonight.
What made the difference against a good RAF team?
We knew it was going to be difficult against Rodez, who are difficult to play against at home, with a strong crowd. We didn’t look down on this team because we knew it would be difficult to win.
Besides, we had some difficulties in the first half, but we rectified things in the second half. We showed solidarity, and the most important thing today is to get through this round and continue in this Coupe de France.
Premières minutes en pro pour Mamadou Coulibaly (qui n'oublie pas de féliciter Kassoum pour sa deuxième ̶p̶a̶s̶s̶e̶ ̶d̶é̶c̶i̶s̶i̶v̶e̶ galette en @Coupedefrance 👏)
1⃣-3⃣ #RAFASM | #MadeInLaDiagonale pic.twitter.com/f5KVbiCKfJ
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) January 20, 2024
What were the coach’s instructions in bringing you on at halftime?
Above all, he asked me to bring speed into the game and to connect well with my teammates to contribute offensively, without forgetting the defensive tasks.
How do you explain the “two faces” of AS Monaco?
We sometimes have a few moments of inattention, forgetfulness on the pitch, but I think we still have to remain positive. We are only starting the second part of the season, so we have to stay focused throughout the match and above all united, because that is what makes us strong. We must start again on this basis for the season’s second half.
Is the Coupe de France a goal for the team?
Yes of course, this is part of the objectives of the Club and of us the players. We play to win everything we can, whether it’s the league or the Cup. We will have to fight in every match to win and hope for the best for us.
What would you take from Wissam’s display?
His play in front of goal (smiles)! He is always ruthless in front of the cage, and that shows every day in training, we know that. He brings us a lot so we are very happy.
Next step, it will be a trip to the Vélodrome to face OM…
We will have to be very united once again against this Marseille team. We know the atmosphere in this stadium, so we will have to be unified to get a result there.
The reaction of Vanderson
Hello Vandi. Did this Rodez team trouble you?
Yes it’s true, I would say that the first half was challenging. Everyone remembered last year’s penalty shootout defeat. But in the second half, we played with our principles to seal qualification.
What did the coach ask of you at the break?
Quite simply to get forward, to show our style of play. This is what we managed to do, scoring twice. The mission is accomplished, and now we must already think about Marseille, because it will also be a difficult away match. But we will try to win it too. They are a very good team, which we will have to respect like we did today.
Does Wissam Ben Yedder still manage to surprise you?
He’s too good (smiles)! He shows it in every match, and I am very happy for him and for the team. We hope that he can continue to be decisive for us in the next matches.
Did being clinical make the difference in your opinion?
Yes, we showed our efficiency thanks to Wissam. This is what we lacked last year to get past this Rodez side. Tonight, success was on our side and we are very happy to qualify for the round of 16.
𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗳 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘁, nos Rouge & Blanc ont rendez-vous avec les 8es de finale de la @coupedefrance 🔝🏆
1⃣-3⃣ #RAFASM | #CoupeDeFrance pic.twitter.com/xH9CPqlIFu
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) January 20, 2024
How can you explain the two sides to the team?
We are working every day to gain consistency. There are matches that are tough, where we go through ups and downs. But it’s the whole team that can improve on this. We will try to be more consistent in the next set of matches — we are capable of doing it.
