The longest of trips for the least glamourous cup tie ever – that’s how we could bill the Coupe de France round of 64 match between RC Grasse and La Tamponnaise. You see, one of the 64 clubs that reached this stage of the French national cup isn’t from France at all. Oh no. They’re from the French overseas territory of Reunion. La Tamponnaise, a team from Le Tampon, the central part of the island, beat FCM Aubervilliers, a team from the suburbs of Paris, in the previous round. The poor Parisians had to make a 17,510 km round trip only to taste defeat and crash out of the cup. Now the boys from Le Tampon will see how that felt.#CoupedeFrance: La Tamponnaise face à l’équipe réserve du #PSG avant d’affronter le RC Pays de Grasse samedi➡️Le club a pris la direction de Paris afin de participer aux 32èmes finales de Ia Coupe de France. Il est le seul club d’#Outremer en lice➡️https://t.co/ScLHmOCdZI pic.twitter.com/9BcBJbypLQ— Outremers360 (@outremers360) January 2, 2023 The islanders will stay at the Clairfontaine National Centre, the leading football academy in France. There, they will play a warm-up game against Paris Saint-Germain’s reserve side to prepare for the Coupe de France tie against the French fourth-tier club from the south coast.This young club was created in 2014 after the dissolution of L’Union Sportive Stade Tamponnaise, ten-times Reunionese champion. La Tamponnaise never reached this stage of Coupe de France before. But this one can count in particular on the experience of its captain, the striker Jean-Michel Fontaine, who has already tasted this stage of the competition with one of his former sides, Saint-Pierroise.Ils l’ont fait ! Direction les 32èmes de finale pour la Tamponnaise, qui était encouragée par de nombreux amateurs du ballon rond ! pic.twitter.com/EB9qLpRLmC— Réunion la 1ère (@reunionla1ere) November 20, 2022 And the challenge is great for the Tamponnais against this team from RC Grasse, which plays in the National 2 Group C, the fourth level on the French football pyramid. The southerners from Reunion are determined to win again and make their long trip worthwhile.The match at the Paoute Stadium will be played on Saturday. Hopefully, Le Tampon boys will have recovered from their long flight by then.So, Bandari boys, you thought going to see your team at Nzoia Sugar was impossible?COUPE DE FRANCERound of 64Friday20.00: (4.60) Pau (3.45) Montpellier (1.83)20.00: (1.90) Paris (3.40) Valenciennes (4.30)20.00: (1.85) Strasbourg (3.50) Angers (4.40)20.00: (2.40) Grenoble (2.95) Nimes (3.40)23.00: (35.0) Chateauroux (14.0) PSG (1.05)Saturday15.00: (7.75) Evreux (4.30) Bastia (1.45)17.30: (25.0) Linas Montlhery (13.0) Lens (1.07)17.30: (1.27) Olympique Lyon (5.80) Metz (10.5)17.30: (6.75) Avranches (4.20) Brest (1.50)17.30: (1.05) Olympique Marseille (14.0) Hyeres (35.0)20.00: (3.60) Plabennec S. (3.25) Vannes (2.15)20.00: (6.00) Thaon (4.10) Amiens (1.55)20.00: (12.0) Le Puy (5.80) Nice (1.25)20.00: (4.40) Granville (3.50) Niort (1.85)Saturday20.00: (1.18) Monaco (7.75) Rodez (13.0)22.45: (5.20) Bordeaux (3.70) Rennes (1.70)Sunday17.30: (3.10) Chamalieres (3.20) Bourges 18 (2.40)17.30: (2.05) Belfort ASM (3.35) Saint Quentin (3.80)17.30: (6.00) Jura Sud (4.00) Ajaccio (1.58)20.00: (4.90) Dunkerque (3.60) Auxerre (1.75)22.45: (1.38) Lille (4.70) Troyes (8.50)***odds are subject to change
