We knew it already, but Senegal are a really good side. I felt they wilted a little in midfield – perhaps Pape Thiaw might’ve made changes sooner, because they were far too open – but I loved their zeal in bombing forward whenever they could, and their quality on the ball. It took probably the best side in the world, playing superbly, to beat them, and they were still in it in injury-time. They’ll not be easy to stop.
I didn’t get to mention this during the game, so let me sweep it up here: in equalising, Mbappe equalled Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 goals for France; in scoring a second, he set a new one of 58, for whose longevity you fear; and he now has 14 World Cup goals, having moved above Pelé, Messi and Fontaine to sit third, level will Gerd Muller and behind only Ronaldo Nazário and Miroslav Klose, who have 15 and 16 respectively. I’d be amazed if they see out the tournament.
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Sometimes, it’s felt like Deschamps is disinclined to change things, but now he has so many options it’s impossible not to. Olise is a better no 10 than Dembele – who is excellent on the wing – and he found it easier to find space in behind the Senegal midfield than out wide. And the great thing is, this doesn’t need to be a permanent move because different problems require different solutions and France have the flexibility to work them out.
I enjoyed that; who couldn’t enjoy that? I imagine Mbappe will get player of the match, but I’d give it to Olise, whose performance turned the game. Once he got on the ball in space and in dangerous areas, it was over for Senegal, who just couldn’t get close to him – his ability to change pace, on the ball or with a pass, ad to do it with consummate style, is a delight to behold.
FULL TIME: France 3-1 Senegal
A superb second-half performance from France, with Olise and Mbappe to the fore, tells the rest what’s up; Senegal, though, were good too and had they taken their first-half chances, who knows?
90+10 min Senegal haven’t given up, and Ndiaye, who’s played well, races to the line and stands up a cross … which tempts Tchouameni into playing it, his inept touch leaping over Maignan who claws away … but was it over the line? No says the tech, and that must be it.
WHAT A GOAL! France 3-1 Senegal (Mbappe 90+6)
Unmarked, Mbappe takes the ball from Olise 30 or so yards out, almost dead centre spins, and unleashes a brute, a rising right-footer soaring past Mendy and into the net, not quite the roof and not quite the corner, but un brute nonetheless. He is good.
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GOAL! France 2-1 Senegal (Mbiaye 90+5)
LIVENER! Rabiot gives it away and Ndiaye oozes through midfield, finding Mbaye at inside-right. He throws lollipops left and right and eventually, Hernandez falls over, legs twisted one around the other, and he bursts into the space behind, leathering a shot that beats Maignan art the near post – the keeper gets a touch and should really make the save, but only helps it in.
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90+4 min France see out time. This has been a seriously impressive second half – though, as history teaches us, the team which plays best in the first round and group stages is rarely the team dancing about at the end.
90+2 min “I’m a little confused,” admits Espen Bommen. “Darren Can and his colleagues’ disgust at the penalty not being awarded: is that considered conclusive proof that it should have been a penalty or that it shouldn’t?”
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90+1 min Ah, I neglected to note, a minute or two ago, Cherki came on for Doue.
90 min We’ll have eight additional minutes. If Senegal can nab a livener, this’ll get interesting.
89 min Gosh, how must Ismaila Sarr be feeling? When he missed that chance just before half-time, you feared he’d regret it, but I guess one of the most crucial traits any elite sportsperson can have is the memory of a goldfish, so it’s possible he’s already forgotten it.
88 min Senegal send on Ciss for Gueye.
86 min Senegal will play worse than this and win comfortably, but France when they’re at it are so hard to contain. I guess they’ve been too open in midfield – too many passes through the centre of the park have found attackers in on goal, which doesn’t speak well of the structure or marking. But we dissed them earlier, so we need to credit Deschamps and France for finding a way to get Olise involved, which has changed the game, and for speeding up their play, which has too.
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85 min France are purring now, Barcola away down the left and shovelling back into the box for Olise, who moves on to Mbappe … whose tame shot is easily fielded by Mendy.
84 min A double change for Senegal, Ndiaye and Dieng replacing Gueye and Jackson.
GOAL! France 2-0 Senegal (Barcola 82)
Another gorgeous goal from France, Rabiot barrelling through midfield and timing his pass beautifully, snapped through the middle to meet the run of Barcola, moving from left to right. Again Mendy comes out, and he probably facies himself against a notoriously panicky finisher. But a delightful dink does the business, and this is seriously impressive behaviour from France, suffused with le groove.
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81 min Deschamps sends on Barcola for Dembele, a decent change to have available. I guess he’ll move on to the left, with Doue going right and Olise in behind.
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80 min Diouf whips over another delectable cross, which Jackson allows across his body to stab home another fine finish … another fine finish ruled out for offside.
79 min What a player Michael Olise is, that rare combination of grace, wit and power. His second-half effort might be the best attacking performance of the competition so far.
78 min Diarra brings down Mbappe 40 yards from goal so Olise, whose freer role has changed this game, sticks a ball into the box … for no one.
77 min Mbaye is an 18-year-old attacking midfielder who’s at PSG – he’s meant to be special and his manager must trust him to chuck him on with other high-quality options available. I’m excited to see how he gets on.
76 min Changes for Senegal, Diarra and Mbaye replacing Saar, who’ll still be feeling poorly – poorlier – poorliest – following his first-half miss – and Camara.
74 min …which Diouf clouts past everyone and out for a throw. Immediately, France get it down the other end, Diouf retreating into the box – he doesn’t want that, though perhaps has resolved that nae penalties are getting given. So he jinks inside, shoots low … and mewndy again does well to tip away a shot that takes a slight deflection.
72 min We’re under way again, and there’s something affirming about Alan Shearer, co-commentating for BBC, exclaiming “How lucky are we?” Communicating a sense of wonder ought to be the bare minimum for any pundit – one that isn’t always detectable. Meantime, Senegal win a corner down the right…
70 min Gosh, Darren Can – the prince of English linos – is on telly, extremely displeased at the refusal to award that penalty, saying his phone has been blowing up with messages from top refs. Imagine the bantz on that group chat!
69 min And that is drinks. Deschamps and France have done what De La Fuente and Spain could not, sorting their lives out at half-time. Senegal, though, aren’t out of this.
68 min Camara sticks Jaackson in behind, the ball bounces … and he absolutely pastes a shot that shrieks above Maignan and into the roof – I think the keeper gets a touch – but the flag goes up. Jackson was offside, just.
GOAL! France 1-0 Senegal (Mbappe 66)
Ohhhh, this gorgeous. Olise, running ting now, reappears on the right and power-slides an oblique pass into the box, near side, meeting Mbappe’s run, and this time he doesn’t wait to miscontrol, instead snapping an expert’s finish, first-time across Mendy and into the far corner!
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65 min Senegal are rocking now, Rabiot out to Doue, who nudges cunning infield to Hernandez. But his first touch is heavy and his second, a shot, is blocked.
64 min Olise s properly involved now, again appearing infield to turn his man and streak away, slipping a luscious pass into the box at precisely the pace Mbappe would want it … yet it beats him. He’s having an absolute mare, and yet it’d be entirely unsurprising if he were to score the winner.
63 min I can see why, form the ref’s angle, it looked like a fair challenge, but judging by the look on Mane’s coupo, he thought he was done for.
NO PENALTY TO FRANCE!
61 min Goodness, it looks like the ref points to the spot, but actually he gestures for a goalkick, the suggestion that Mbappe initiated contact. I’m not sure how that’s possible, given it came from behind him; he perhaps waited for the challenge, but I’m not sure that’s even so, and he was in with men in front of goal to find. Deschamps is not amused by this development.
Yup, Mane catches Mbappe’s trailing leg with his thigh. The ref comes over to consult the screen…
59 min I think we can say with certainty that Mane gets man not ball. This is going to be a penalty to France.
59 min Mbappe pulls right, skates around Diouf on the outside, screeches into the box, and Mane slides in … but does he gets the ball? Mbappe thinks so, the ref says corner, and VAR will let us know which it is.
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57 min Has someone spiked the half-time oranges? A loose touch from Cmara is seized upon by Olise, and his slide-rule pass into the box finds Mbappe – he’s in! But again, Mendy is equal to the situation, out quickly to block.
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56 min I love how Senegal commit to attack, Koulibaly finding Diatta who finds Sarr … whose pass into the box for Jackson has just too much on it.
55 min Gueye passes smartly into midfield and Sarr lanks through midfield before playing in Jackson … but again, Upamecano is equal to him, easing him off the ball.
53 min Kounde pounces on a lax touch from Gueye a punches a ball into Olise, who slows up Koulibaly then stomps on the gas, taking him away and in! So out comes Mendy, spreading himself, and when the shot is clipped back against Olise’s momentum, his left thigh does enough. Excellent goalkeeping, and much better from France.
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51 min Senegal have yet to muster an attack in this half, but when Mbappe gets Diatta one on one … he’s easily mugged-off, again, and Camara sets Sarr in behind … but Saliba makes a fine sliding tackle.
49 min “‘Tchouameni and Rabiot are a strange pairing, neither of them an aggressive passer or carrier, both lacking imagination and dexterity’” begins Brendan Murphy, quoting me back to myself. “Uh, huh. Funnily enough, this unimaginative pairing, that can’t pass and carry, was Deschamps central midfield of choice in 2022. Got them to the final and a missed penalty from retaining the World Cup.”
France have good players and the standard at that competition was poor. Just because a team do well, it doesn’t mean they’re perfect and there’s not a better version of them waiting to be unlocked. I don’t think many have watched them under Deschamps and not felt something better is possible.
48 min Upamecano drills a long pass to Doue, just left of centre who shifts it on to his left foot and wallops a low shot that zips a yard or two wide of the post. Better from France.
47 min “In the last two WCs,” says Bruce Brooks, “Griezmann was the real manager of the France attack, and Griezmann’s hard to replace.”
Yes, that’s a fair point. I originally typed that they’re missing a pivot, then deleted it because I didn’t think it entirely accurate – lots of good attacks do without – but I agree there’s no one buzzing about making and following short passes.
46 min We go again, Senegal kicking for touch as France did at the start of the first half.
Our teams are back with us. Has Deschamps been able to get his players going?
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Mainoo, I should add, is wearing a vest and looks in absurd shape. He needs to be because, though his tackling is better than people think, in the last few months he’s started bouncing opponents, especially necessary because he doesn’t have long strides or serious pace.
BBC are showing an interview with Kobbie Mainoo who, it turns out, is boys with Clarence Seedorf – his dad met him at the Euros, they got talking, swapped numbers, and chat. I absolutely love that, what a bloke for a young player to have as a mate.
A group-chat tale in two acts:
Yes, “Drew” is a Palace fan.
Half-time reading:
HALF-TIME: France 0-0 Senegal
Senegal have hit the post and missed an open net; France have done a lot of nothing.
45+6 min WHAT A CHANCE FOR SENEGAL! Diouf, who’s been excellent, waits for Mane, then feeds a pass in behind as Kounde half-arses his tracking – he can’t be dug out for not doing it, but he does it in name only. So Mane snaps across the face AND SARR IS UNMARKED, EIGHT YARDS OUT! THIS IS HIS MOMENT! Er, except with the goal making eyes at him, he’s distracted into clattering a side-footer over the top. If Senegal don’t win this, that’ll haunt him.
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45+4 min It’s france moving it slowly as we near the break, but Upamecano thunks a decent pass into midfield, the ball goes wide, and Kounde crosses way beyond the back post. The apparent lack of understanding between top-level players who’ve been playing together for years, is equal parts infuriating and disquieting.
45+2 min “There is surely something to be said for having a single, evident point of attack and everything else working in the service of that,” reckons Paul Whitfield. “Is it possible the French team has too many options and thus no plan?”
I don’t think the lack of cohesion necessarily comes about because there are too many options – I don’t think Deschamps is much of an attacking coach – but the blend is definitely a problem. It’s not, though, simply down to the strikers – Tchouameni and Rabiot are a strange pairing, neither of them an aggressive passer or carrier, both lacking a imagination and dexterity.
45+1 min Our kick-offs are coming late and so are our added time announcements. We’ll have six minutes.
45 min But France sustain the attack, Dembele now popping up on the right and whipping in a nasty low cross which kicks off the turf right in front of Koulibaly, who slices it behind for another corner. Again, it’s a poor one that comes to nowt.
43 min Pape Gueye is harshly penalised for a foul on Dembele, so france can put a ball into the box from out on the left … which Koulibaly heads clear.
40 min Sarr scarpers down the right and moves infield across the face of the box, somehow keeping possession though the ball is well ahead of him. It breaks to Pape Gueye who has a dig – it’s straight at Maignan – and, with Sarr down, France break. They can’t create anything, so the physio comes on and leads Sarr off – he’ll be back shortly – then off we go again.
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39 min My screen crashe but, in the meantime and not for the first time, it seems Doue didn’t follow Diatta. Deschamps is not happy.
36 min Upamecano over the top for Olise … who’s easily unloaded by Diouf. France aren’t getting him the ball early and in space, so he’s having to beat his man from a standing start with little separation, and it’s not working. They must move the ball quicker and get it forward sooner.
34 min “Olise seems to be playing the Griezmann role, roving everywhere to knit together defense and attack and progressing the ball forward” reckons Kári Tulinius. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of his talents, as I’d love to see him focus on creating chances.”
It’s hard to discern France’s attacking idea – it feels very off-the-cuff, moving the ball forward and assuming something good will eventually happen. Which brings us back to Deschamps – this team’s USP is the majesty of its attacking players, but the manager’s conservative nature means they don’t exploit it.
32 min There’s a big difference in intensity between the Senegal press and the France version – such as it is. My sense is Deschamps is happier with his team in shape than leaving spaces looking to win the ball high.
31 min Though they had their momentum halted by the break, Senegal again time their press well, springing and finding Sarr, but he slips as he shoots. Still, though, his team are in the ascendancy.
29 min “Luis Enrique for France manager,” says Jim Myers. “All the outrageous talent Deschamps has had at his disposal since he’s been in charge, and yet watching France remains a snoozefest.”
Guy Mowbray just prefixed his name with “the great”, which I must say elicited in me a physical reaction. It feels more like France’s 2018 win was in spite of him than because of him, but it’s hard to argue with post-Knysna harmony and a trophy. I’m intrigued to see how Zinedine Zidane handles the gig when he takes over.
27 min The corner comes to nothing and it’s time for a drinks break. Mbappe could use a settler.
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25 min Tchouemani to Mbappe, who fancies himself against Diouf, but a loose touch and ball is easily confiscated – does he have his boots on the wrong feet? – and we know the Senegal plan is to spring, because that’s what they’re doing every time. So Diouf takes another touch, then sticks a pass in behind and Jakcson is away and in space! In the inside-left channel, he diddles Upamecano with a stepover that intimates he’s going inside, dashes outside, and the striker who can’t shoot, which sounds like a kids’ book, laces one that whizzes past Maignan … and hits the base of the near post, bouncing off the keeper … and behind.
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23 min Again, Senegal look to get it forward quickly, sending Sarr running at Upamecano … who sons him off, too strong and too solid.
23 min I’d like to see Senegal moving the ball better in midfield. Pape Sarr gives it away and off goes Mbappe, but Diatta does well to stick with him, conceding a corner … which comes to nothing.
21 min The corner is wasted and Senegal bring the ball away.
20 min “Papa, Steed, Sylvain, Clint” is CLEARLY a 70s R&B combo,” says Steve Gisselbrecht.
Meantime, Kounde, again high on the right, is this time tracked by Mane, who misses his kick ceding a corner.
19 min But of course, as soon as I hit send, Mane fails to track back, the ball comes in off the flank from Olise to Dembele, and his shot is blocked by Niakhate. Immediately, though, Senegal get back on the attack, Pape Sarr snapping a terrific pass down the line for Sarr … whose first touch is heavy.
17 min France are starting to exert control, but Senegal are doing a good job of sticking in, defending in a 4-4-2, then jumping as one when triggered. So far, I like what I’m seeing from them, in and out of possession.
15 min I think I – and many others – have a bit of thing for Cherki because he’s that contemporary rarity: a maverick who does things on the off-beat. His stride patterns and low backlift make him so hard to read, a natural footballer and a one-off. I’d not be surprised to see him bag some late-doors goals and assists, as opponents tire and he’s sent on to terrorise.
14 min Eeee, Koulibaly gives it away to Dembele, who again looks for Mbappe in behind … and almost gips up his upper intestine when it transpires he’s given the pass excess gas. That was, I think, the kind of thing Cherki would pull off without thinking about it.
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12 min Lovely from Dembele, punching the kind of pass Mbappe needs, in behind … and again, his touch is poor, so too his decision to control with his ball-side right, rather than let it run past on to his goal-side left. Yes, you read that correctly: that is me telling the leading scorer in the last two World Cups how to get himself in on goal, for the second time.
10 min “Always worth mentioning that Papa Bouba Diop was part of a midfield named Papa, Steed, Sylvain, Clint,” recalls Gavin Hutchinson, “which has a great international playboy feel (and with Carlos Bocanegra, Moritz Volz and Luis Boa Morte often in the same team...)”
Steed, of course, is most famous for being Tony Blair’s workshopped favourite player, just as Ode to Joy was his favourite tune when interviewed on Radio 3 and Sympathy for the Devil on Radio 2.
9 min Senegal will be happy with how they’ve started – they look the stronger, more energetic team, at it while France are hoping to settle in slowly.
7 min Nice from Senegal, a Jackson flick sending Sarr nashing goalwards. But Upamecano does really well to stick with him then hold him up, then block.
6 min “In response to Gary Stover, says Justin Kavanagh, “if the game was played on paper, they’d be presenting the trophy to Les Blues today. But, as Spain found out yesterday, the game is played on grass, often against 11 very stubborn blokes from somewhere foreign determined to put their country on the map. Just like Senegal did in 2002.”
I don’t love France’s balance; i fancy Portugal, but in a big knockout contest, it’s hard to back against Spain despite yesterday, because of how good they are at retaining possession.
4 min Rabiot picks up a knock-back from Olise and punches an instapass at Mbappe, who might let it run by him and set off because he’s in, but instead looks to control, only to catch it on the buttock.
3 min Jackson has himself on a rolling boil already, the ref forced to administer a talking-to, then the ball comes in Tchouameni treads on Maignan, and the ref awards France the free-kick.
1 min Right away, Kounde makes a mess of a ball coming over his shoulder then, shortly afterwards, Saenegal set Diouf away down the left. His cross is as brilliant as we’ve come to expect from him, Hernandez forced to head behind, really well, in the knowledge Sarr is loitering behind him.
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1 min These kick-off countdowns are really helpful – how would we know it was coming otherwise? Off we go!
We’re pretty much ready to go…
This is, of course, Senegal’s first tournament game since the Afcon title was taken away from them. A few minutes ago, Wayne Rooney was on UK telly disagreeing with the decision, saying the match was played out, and I understand that. But I’m afraid Fifa felt the need – not without reason – to make the point, pour encourager les autres, that you can’t stalk off the pitch if you don’t like a refereeing call.
Anthem time!
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Our teams are tunnelled … and here they come! It’s sunny, the sky is clear, and the ground looks reme. I can’t wait for this, and the good news is I – and we – don’t have to.
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“That Senegal kit is indeed a beezer,” agrees Simon McMahon, “but the one France are warming up in is class too. Bonus style points for both teams.”
My (brief) time as a City lawyer has given me a lifetime aversion to pinstripes, I’m afraid, but I guess these are on-theme, looking, as they do, like the reverse of a New York yankees uniform.
“We were intending to watch the game on the big screen in the salle des fêtes of our local village in SW France, in solidarité with our fellow villagers,” advises Richard Hirst. “Unfortunately the day rather got away from us, so we’re at home instead. In any case, half of me would have been secretly favouring Senegal, to support the underdogs and to honour Fulham legend Papa Bouba Diop. In support of his status I was going to reference the goal against Man Utd, even at the expense of your goodwill, but you have very generously got there before me. So it’s allez Les Bleus, but only 50%.”
I’m sure they’d have welcomed a Senegal supporter, but glad to hear a day’s got away from you. May that joy soon come to us all.
So where is the game? France are, I think, vulnerable at full-back, Koundé liable to lose his bearings and Hernandez better going forward. I’d expect Senegal to look to gang up on the, especially down their left, where Diouf and Mané are a serious threat, and I also wonder if Dayot Upamecano, much improved by still liable to switch off, might struggle with Nicolas Jackson who, though he’s not a reliable scorer, holds the ball up well and sees things others don’t. Finally, will Rabiot fancy chasing Camara back to his own box? He’s going to have to.
France, meanwhile, will see a lack of pace in the middle of the Senegal defence and ask Mbappé to challenge the space behind them, Dembélé and Olise looking to slide him in. The wide men will, I think, also look to take the full-backs infield, seeking to get off shots or duck outside to hit the line and cut-back.
Regular readers will know that, if we can get them, we like to embed playlists from competing nations so, as Delia Smith would say, if anyone has a Senegal or France one, let’s be having you.
“It was interesting to hear on Football Weekly about the experience of watching the World Cup from UK with the late kick-off times,” says John Brennan. “I suffer from almost the opposite problem. I live in New York and work a 9-5 so most midweek games are on in my afternoons and I usually follow on Guardian MBMs (others are available too I hear). Having games on in the evening after I get home from work is a huge shock to my system. Even the late night games are a pleasant addition to my life. USA v Paraguay was a pretty good watch last Friday and Iran v New Zealand was a pleasant nightcap before I went to bed last night (game finished at 11pm on the East Coast).
Please spare a thought for my wife who knows I’m a huge sports fan but it hasn’t really encroached that much on our life as even weekend games are over by lunchtime normally so there is still a lot of the day free to do whatever we want to do and she doesn’t have to worry about me hogging the TV to watch games. Until now.”
I feel you. I was in NYC for my wife’s 30th and my team were playing, so of course I imposed it, but we were done by early morning. I’m pleased you’re getting to experience the more sociable, anti-social aspect.
You may or may not have seen the wonderful new Senegal kit, printed inside-out. What a beauty!
Yes, yes, don’t worry, it’s coming. It is of course, impossible to mention our dear departed without also mentioning this goal.
I was in the away end that night, right behind the shot, and you knew it was in from the second he conencted.
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We mentioned the Bouba Diop winner and celebration earlier; well, here it is.
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“On paper,” writes Gary Stover, “France look better to me than PSG.”
I know what you mean – Mbappé is a very nice to have – but I think I prefer the blend with Kvaratskhelia, and definitely don’t think Mbappé adds enough for me to sacrifice Neves and Vitinha. If it clicks, though, everyone is in trouble.
“I must say that I’m a bit surprised to see Idrissa Gueye starting for Senegal, seeing as he’s the oldest member of the team by two years,” says Matt Burtz. “He’s of course also the most capped member of the team, so perhaps experience entered into the equation. His performances for Everton flagged as bit as the season came to a conclusion and it wasn’t because Everton played an excessive number of games, though Gueye’s Afcon participation added to his personal log.”
Yeah, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo also struggled to get going again after coming back from Morocco, but I agree that Gueye is probably playing because he’s the oldest member of the team, not in spite of it. Against Norway and Iran, I’d not be surprised to see Sarr come in, but I guess Pape Thiaw wants his experience and positional discipline against so potent an attack.
Before I take a moment to write the teams down, credit where it’s due: that lovely quotation about hacking and Frenchmen deployed in the preamble comes from Nick Greene’s terrific new book, How To Watch Soccer Like a Genius: What Architects, Stuntwomen, Paleoanthropologists, and Computer Scientists Reveal About the World’s Game. Recommended.
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As for Senegal, Idrissa Gueye and Papa Gueye are preferred to Pape Matar Sarr in midfield – I’m a little surprised as I think his athleticism is important – while Iliman Ndiaye must content himself with a place on the bench, but he’ll know that Mané and Sarr are pretty well ensconced as wide attackers.
So what does it mean? Well, France are pretty much as expected, Desiré Doué having moved ahead of Marcos Thuram in the right-wing stakes – rightly so, his skill superior and work-ethic at least as good – while Ousmane Dembélé, yet to sync with Kylian Mbappé, in behind him. Don’t be surprised if, at some point during the competition, that spot goes to Rayan Cherki, but for now, the name harder to leave out is preferred to player who better fits. And otherwise, we can, I’m sure, all agree that, after the apocalypse destroys the entirety of humanity, Adrien Rabiot will still be there, starting for Les Bleus in international tournaments.
Teams
France (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Hernandez T, Saliba, Upamecano, Kounde; Rabiot, Tchouameni; Olise, Dembele, Doué; Mbappe. Subs: Akliouche, Barcola, Cherki, Digne, Gusto, Hernandez L, Kanté, Konaté, Koné, Lacroix, Mateta, Risser, Samba, Thuram, Zaïre-Emery.
Senegal (4-2-3-1): Mendy É; Diatta, Niakhaté, Koulibaly, Diouf E; Gueye P, Gueye I, Camara; Sarr, Jackson, Mané. Subs: Ciss, Diao, Diaw, Dieng, Diouf Y, Jakobs, Mbaye, Mendy A, Ndiaye I, Ndiaye C, Sarr M, Sarr P, Seck.
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Australia)
Preamble
There are some fixtures that need only the names of the teams to get us going and France v Senegal is one such, a meld of nostalgia, history and righteous indignation. “I think Senegal will win,” says Othmane Sonoko, former prime minister and speaker of the Senegalese parliament, “but in any case, whichever team wins, it is Africa that will have beaten Africa.”
The teams, of course, met in the World Cup 2002 opener, a game which featured one of the great centre-forward displays from El-Hadji Diouf and one of the great celebrations following Papa Bouba Diop’s goal, which secured one of the great shocks. Nor did things improve for France thereafter, eliminated bottom of the group with one point and no goals, the worst-ever performance from a defending champion. The teams have not met since.
But as Sonoko implies, they remain inextricably linked. France began colonising Senegal in 1659, it wasn’t until 1960 that independence was retaken, and it was less than a year ago that France gave up the last of its military bases. No country has more World Cup players born within its borders than France, who account for 98 of the 1248 – Netherlands are next with 67, then England with 49 – of which 10 are representing Senegal.
And what a squad they’re part of, Senegal solid at the back, but a lot more interesting further forward. Lamine Camara is a dynamic midfielder who blends old school new, able to do a bit of everything but at warp speed and is, presumably, soon to arrive at a Premier League team near you; alongside him, Pape Matar Sarr is already there, and there are various excellent candidates to complete the trio, as well as 18-year-old Bara Sapoko Ndiaye of Bayern Munich, likely to be kept in reserve but a very serious talent. Then, up front, Sadio Mané and Ismaïla Sarr will presumably flank Nicolas Jackson, with Iliman Ndiaye and Ibrahim Mbaye ready to explode off the bench. If you’re gently whistling to yourself, fear not: so you should be.
In 1863, when various bodies in England were trying to standardise the laws of the game, a dispute developed regarding the banning of “hacking”, deliberately kicking an opponent’s legs – a point on which Francis Maule Campbell of Blackheath Football club took a strong position. “You will do away with all the courage and pluck of the game,” he said, “and I will be bound to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week’s practise.”
Well, the 2026 iteration are more than able to take care of themselves should things become physical – just ask Fede Valverde – but boast perhaps the most ridiculous cadre of attackers ever seen. Whether Didier Deschamps can perm the best combination from those available – perhaps – then allow them to express themselves – almost definitely not – remains to be seen, but at any point, both of those aspects can be overriden by talent of intense and divergent brilliance.
If there’s one thing the games we’ve seen so far have taught us, it’s that we’ve no idea from where our eternal moments are coming, just that they are. So it feels vaguely silly to be make a bold statement about this one, but the piquant ingredients make it the likeliest banger of the group stages, and decent barometer of where these exciting outfits are it. Chouette! On y va!
Kick-off: 3pm local, 8pm BST, 5am AEST
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