Sadou Ntanzi: 'Limoges can cause us problems'

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On Sunday afternoon, Paris Saint-Germain Handball travel to Limoges, for their Liqui Moly StarLigue Round 11 clash. Before the throw-off, young Rouge et Bleu centre-half Sadou Ntanzi joined us for a chat.

Last week, you got a great win against Saint-Raphaël (42-31). Did that confirm the side's positive dynamic?

"Yes, because we're playing a lot of matches. Often, before a league game, we have played a few days earlier in the EHF Champions League. So we are a bit less fresh. There are some matches that are more complicated to manage, but I think we are doing well. Even if there are moments of hesitation, we try to apply ourselves and solve the problems. When you see the scores at the end of the games, you can say that we have controlled them well. We're having a good spell."

Is the record of a 100% win rate in the league important to you?

"We have a competitive team. We want to achieve this goal! But we are not limited to the Liqui Moly StarLigue. We also want to win in the cups and in the Champions League, even if it's not the same competition."

On Sunday, you face Limoges. What do you think of this team?

"They are a team that plays well, even if they are doing it tougher this season... But this championship is complicated, because anyone can beat anyone. I have seen Limoges' games and I know that they can cause us problems. We will do what is necessary to win the game by the the biggest possible margin. It's up to us to be serious and live up to the status of league leaders."

Do you think you've done the hardest part of the clinching the league title already?

"Absolutely not. We haven't done the hardest part yet. We know that things can go very quickly and we are only at the beginning. For the moment, we haven't achieved anything yet. We have to keep working and putting pressure on our opponents."

After a loan at Toulouse, you came back to Paris this summer. How was it coming back home?

"Great! I'm living my Parisian life again. I grew up in this city, so I was able to see my relatives again. It was also great to reconnect with my teammates - we get along really well. I get on well with everyone. I even became a scorer in the warm-up games [laughs]. I'm happy to be at a club with so many ambitions."

You share the position with Nikola Karabatic and Luc Steins. Do they give you a lot of advice?

"Yes, a lot! Luc and have some experiences in common, since we played in two cities close to Paris (Massy for Luc, Savigny for Sadou), then we went to Toulouse. He sent me a lot of messages during my loan. We understand each other because of our background. We had similar experiences. As for Niko, he's the boss! As soon as there are remarks to make about my game, he gives them to me. Any advice is good to take."

Watch the video of our interview with Sadou Ntanzi.

(Credits: A. Gadoffre/TeamPics/PSG)