First team

Born in 1988 in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Jirès Kembo Ekoko arrived in France very young. Starting his career in Bondy (Greater Paris Area), he soon joined the INF Clairefontaine. Three years later, he moved to Britanny and Rennes’ Football Academy. The powerful striker quickly found his marks in Rennes, and soon became a major pied of the Reserves squad, scoring goal after goal during two seasons. After signing a first professional contract, and despite obvious qualities such as pace and technical skills, he struggled to find a place in the first team to develop his potential. Up to this day, he’s been trying to nibble playtime without managing to become a first team regular. However, Kembo Ekoko remains a hot prospect for the future, and signed a contract extension for another 3 years in January 2010. All eyes are on him, to become a major member of Rennes’ first team squad. He certainly has the talent.

Winner of the Best Player award in the Junior African Nations Cup in January 2007, Fabrice N'Guessi arrived in Rennes the following summer, aiming to impress with his technical and physical skills, but also with his goalscoring ability. At the end of a rather average season with the Reserves, learning the ways of European football, he was loaned to Créteil to keep on learning, make his mark in the third division team and maybe brighten his future with Rennes. Unfortunately, his loan spell turned into a nightmare and disciplinary issues came on top of N’Guessi’s poor performances. At the end of his loan spell, N’Guessi didn’t return to Rennes and his contract was eventually terminated. To this date, there is no information regarding Fabrice N’Guessi’s current situation as a professional footballer.

This experienced striker broke onto the main stage only late in his career, playing his first Ligue 1 game when he was already 28 years old. Before that, he had spent several years between the Ligue 2 and National championship, continuously showing his goal scoring ability. Recruited by Sochaux, he soon become a valuable Ligue 1 player and was highly esteemed by the fans and managers alike, as he was later in Strasbourg and Marseille. In 2007, he joined Rennes and brought his experience along with an impressive technical ability. Scoring 12 goals for his first season, the Angers man responded perfectly to the high hopes placed in him. His second season, however, was less satisfying despite a few outstanding performances, and Pagis was eventually dropped to the bench by Guy Lacombe at the latter stages. In summer 2009, Frederic Antonetti announced that he would not rely on Mickael Pagis as a regular member of his team, but Pagis eventually decided to stay in Rennes until the end of his contract, in June 2010.

Let on the side of the first team for many seasons, Moussa Sow had a rather discrete start to his professional career, only showing glimpses of his talent during three seasons. A rather positive loan experience in Sedan (Ligue 2), in 2007/2008, allowed him to gain some useful playtime and score a few goals, and his return to Rennes was marked by a renewed goal-scoring ability. Often decisive, Moussa Sow was one of the biggest satisfactions of the 2008-2009 season, and the striker was expected to hold a major role in the club’s future. However, he declined the club’s offers for an extension of his contract, and signed a contract for Lille on a free transfer in June 2010.

Recruited during the 2007 winter transfer window, Olivier Thomert had the heavy mission to replace Olivier Monterrubio on the left wing of Rennes’s squad. Often disliked by a fair share of Rennes Supporters, who criticized his nonchalance and his limited technical ability, Olivier Thomert eventually managed to impose his very athletic presence on the starting eleven. Even though he couldn’t compare to the elegance and technical skills of “Rubio”, the former Lens player had the ability to be decisive, and was never reluctant to bring a heavy defensive work to the team. A discrete, but highly useful contribution to his team’s good functioning. Regularly booed by the Rennes fans after a catastrophic end of the 2008-2009 season, Thomert never found his place in Frederic Antonetti’s plans. In January 2010, he was eventually released from his contract and signed for Le Mans, his first professional club, on a free transfer.

A small-size playmaker with a technical ability as brilliant as confusing to his opponents, Yacine Brahimi was initially trained at the INF Clairefontaine. He was a centre part to the 2008 Gambardella Cup victory, and, coveted by some of Europe’s greatest teams, he signed his first professional contract soon after the final. Loaned to Clermont for the 2009-2010 season, he impressed the fans and experts by his abilities to eliminate direct opponents and create goals. The following season should allow him to confirm and prove his immense talent at the highest level.

After Marco Grassi and Alexander Frei, another striker came from Switzerland in December 2006. Julian Esteban, a young and talented striker from Servette Geneve, seemed a bright prospect for the Stade Rennais. Targeted by a number of clubs, Esteban, of Spanish ascent, decided to join Rennes to continue learning. Unfortunately, his first years in Rennes were spoilt by repetitive injuries, preventing him to prove his talent. In July 2009, he was loaned to his first club to try and manage recovering some playing time and footballing sensations. Unfortunately, another serious injury striked him in January 2010, just a few weeks after an encouraging return to competitive football.

A quick and unpredictable left winger, Abdoul Razzagui Camara was part of the 2008 Gambardella Cup winning team. 2007-2008 was a difficult season, however, for the young Guinea born player, because of a big injury. After signing a first professional contract, his next season was much more positive, and he proved himself as a valuable member of Laurent Huard’s reserve team. He was even called by Guy Lacombe to make his Ligue 1 debut at the end of that season. In Summer 2009, he was loaned to Vannes (L2) to gather some professional experience, and made his mark as a first time regular in the Morbihan.

A very rangy defender, Bira Dembélé worked his way through the Stade Rennais’ youth team. Excellent in the air, thanks to his height and an impressive jumping ability, Dembélé still needs to improve his game with the ball. Pairing with Prince Oniangue to compose a highly efficient central defense with the Reserves, Bira Dembélé took profit of numerous injuries in the professional squad to play his first games in Ligue 1, in January 2008. His performances were good enough to convince the management to offer him a first three-year professional contract. In summer 2009, he was loaned to Boulogne sur Mer, recently promoted to Ligue 1, to gather some professional experience. There, he made his place as a regular in the first team, scoring his first professional goal in the process. Back to his training club in 2010, Dembélé was left on the sidelines by Frédéric Antonetti and played the whole 2010/2011 season with the Reserve. At the end of his contract in June 2011, he joined Sedan.

A forward born in Franche-Comté, Yoann Lasimant joined Rennes’ Academy rather late, aged nearly 17 years. He took profit of his first two seasons to make his way as a first choice in attack, both in the U18 and CFA squad. A winner in the 2008 Gambardella Cup, he was called in the professional squad by Guy Lacombe for the first time, for a game in Nancy. At the end of the 2008-2009 season, he signed his first professional contract, and was soon loaned to Sedan, in order to win playing time in Ligue 2. Unable to become a regular in Sedan, Lasimant was later released by the club June 2010.