Mohamed Koné has established himself as an indispensable part of FC Annecy since his arrival this summer. Coach Laurent Guyot confirmed his importance and compared him to French international Lucas Digne.
The young defender, nephew of former Ivorian striker Arouna Koné, quickly won over the Annecy fans with his driving runs from the back. Guyot, who is from Haute-Savoie, has been tracking the player since spring. "I am not surprised by his level and it's good to have this type of player in the squad," he said.
The coach remains cautious about the future, however. "But we must be very careful.", he added. Koné is regularly cited as one of Annecy's best signings of the transfer window.
This rapid integration is a boost for a team sitting 4th in Ligue 2 with 10 points. FC Annecy's record reads 3 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats. Their last outing was a 2-1 loss at Guingamp, where Thibault Rambaud had opened the scoring. This recent form, with just one win in their last three matches, shows the season is a marathon.
Guyot's side have scored 8 goals and conceded 7 this season. They trail leaders Saint-Étienne by 5 points. The current top scorer is Thibault Rambaud with 2 goals. The next challenge is a home game against 13th-placed Dijon on Friday, September 18.
