5 Players Who Will Be Key to the Ligue 1 Relegation Fight

The 2013-14 Ligue 1 season is heading toward its climax following another exciting and predominantly closely fought campaign.

Paris Saint-Germain may have broken clear at the top, but at the bottom there are a number of teams still very much in danger of succumbing to the ignominy of relegation.

Bottom club Ajaccio appear doomed after claiming just three wins all year, but above them Sochaux, Valenciennes, Evian and Guingamp are involved in a battle for survival that could yet go to the wire.

Still, while all of those teams have struggled this season, each possesses players who have the quality, the experience and the mentality that could prove to be the difference between relegation and survival.

Here I take a look at five players that are likely to play key roles in the relegation run-in.

Stopilla Sunzu

Stopilla Sunzu has been nothing short of excellent since reuniting with former Zambia head coach Herve Renard at Sochaux.

The centre-back has made a key impact at both ends of the field, bringing a solidity to a team that had previously lacked any semblance of defensive proficiency.

Indeed, Sochaux have claimed four league wins since Sunzu's arrival, securing clean sheets in each one of those successes.

Sunzu found the net in three of those victories and was also on target in Sochaux's highly creditable 1-1 draw with 10-time champion Marseille.

Sochaux have stayed up on the last day of the season for the past two years, and Sunzu will play a pivotal part if Renard's men are to achieve that feat once again.

Majeed Waris

A January loan signing from Spartak Moscow, Majeed Waris has been nothing short of brilliant for lowly Valenciennes.

The Ghana striker, who is likely to go to the World Cup this year, has provided a potency up front that the likes of Anthony Le Tallec and Gregory Pujol had previously failed to provide.

Waris has found the net nine times in 12 appearances, although Valenciennes are still six points adrift of securing survival.

With their limited financial capabilities and lack of standing in the French game, it looks unlikely that Waris will stay with Valenciennes, who appear set to act as a stepping stone to bigger things for the 22-year-old. 

But if Waris can continue to find the net at a prolific rate for the remainder of the season and keep Valenciennes in the top flight, then the northern club will be forever grateful.

Daniel Wass

In an Evian side largely bereft of quality, Daniel Wass is a crucial presence in wide areas.

The Denmark international can operate at both full-back spots or further forward on the wing.

But it never seems to matter in which position Wass is deployed as he consistently bombs forward with little abandon.

Wass is a threat from set-pieces and his magnificent delivery can cause problems for any defence in the French top flight.

The 24-year-old has displayed his attacking abilities on a number of occasions this season and has found the net five times, the latest of which came in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Lorient.

Wass will play a pivotal role if Evian are to remain in Ligue 1, but the versatile defender should still be looking to move on at the end of the season even if Pascal Dupraz's men do achieve that feat.

Sebastien Corchia

Sebastien Corchia did not wish to remain with Sochaux this season, but he is sure to be heavily involved in the end-of-season reckoning as they attempt to escape the drop.

Corchia had a move to Lille cancelled following complications with the deal, yet he remains adamant that he will join the northerners at the end of the season, as per Sky Sports.

But for now the right-back remains a valuable part of the Sochaux side and one that gives Renard's team extra creativity and guile going forward.

The 23-year-old has a penchant for spectacular long-range goals, finding the net in amazing fashion in a 2-2 draw with Valenciennes in February.

Corchia also netted in the 2-2 tie at Bastia last weekend, which saw Renard's men throw away a two-goal lead.

Sochaux will hope that Corchia is hitting form at the right time, and if the defender can help them retain their top-flight status, then he can leave the Stade Auguste Bonal on a high.

Mustapha Yatabare

After proving himself in France's second tier, Mustapha Yatabare has arguably been the highlight of Guingamp's return to Ligue 1.

Yatabare hit 22 goals in Ligue 2 last season and has proved to be almost as prolific against the country's elite teams.

The Malian has scored 16 goals this term, 10 of which have come in the league, including one against champions-elect PSG in a surprising 1-1 draw for the Brittany club.

Late goals have defined Guingamp's campaign, with Yatabare proving adept at finding the net in the latter stages. He scored an equaliser at the end of the 1-1 draw with Bastia in September and also netted in the closing moments against Nice and Rennes.

Those goals could well prove to be the difference between survival and relegation, and if Yatabare can maintain the impact he has had already this season, then Guingamp will surely remain in Ligue 1.