Kenyan defender Joseph Okumu, out for more than a year and a half with a knee injury, is in the Stade de Reims squad for the seventh round of the Coupe de France at Tourcoing, Saturday 14 November at 14:00.
L’Ardennais announced it on Thursday: Joseph Okumu is back in the Stade de Reims squad. The Kenyan international defender had not played for more than a year and a half, held back by a knee injury. He is expected to be on the Reims teamsheet for the trip to Tourcoing, Saturday 14 November at 14:00.
The draw pits Stade de Reims against Tourcoing, a Régional 1 club, in the seventh round of the Coupe de France. The defender’s return therefore comes in a knockout match against an opponent playing at a lower level.
Ibrahim and Tia close behind
Joseph Okumu is not the only one returning to the squad. Defender Hafiz Ibrahim, who suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in training in March, is also back in competition, eight months later.
Martial Tia, an international midfielder, is also among the “three additional resources” cited by head coach Nicolas Usaï, according to L’Ardennais. The coach has to cope with a squad depleted by international call-ups: Stade de Reims have twelve players involved in national team camps, including players from the Révélations group. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s sessions allowed twelve youngsters from that group to be seen.
A disruptive schedule
Nicolas Usaï does not hide the difficulty of the week. “It’s restrictive because it’s not an international break for us, it’s a Coupe de France week,” he told L’Ardennais. The Reims coach nevertheless refuses to use it as a pretext: “It must not be an excuse or a handicap.”
This week comes after a first Ligue 2 defeat, suffered eight days earlier on the pitch at Grenoble (3-2). Despite that setback, the Champagne club sit 4th in Ligue 2 after twelve matchdays, four points behind second place, according to footmercato.net.
A return after a long absence
For Joseph Okumu, this call-up ends more than a year and a half without playing. The Kenyan defender, a full international, is thus among the players back in the Reims squad before the trip to Tourcoing.
The match is scheduled for Saturday 14 November at 14:00, as part of the seventh round of the Coupe de France. Alongside Joseph Okumu, Hafiz Ibrahim and Martial Tia are cited by L’Ardennais among the players back in the squad or made available to the coach.