Izuchukwu OkosiCrowned world champions at Russia 2018, France have a major challenge on their hands: to do what no other team has done in the last 60 years and retain the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy.
Since Brazil won back-to-back titles in 1958 and 1962, the defending champions have always come up short at the following tournament.
“We’ve got a massive task in front of us,” said Guy Stephan, assistant coach to Didier Deschamps, summing up the scale of the job they face. As Benjamin Pavard told FIFA+, “France are the team that everyone wants to beat”.
Yet such is the talent at their disposal in every department that anything seems possible for the latest incarnation of Les Bleus. Led by their captain Hugo Lloris, who could become the country’s most capped player of all time in Qatar, France can count on several of the world’s best players, among them Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe, N’Golo Kante, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele.
As well as established stars, the French also have a seemingly inexhaustible supply of young talents, among them Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig), Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt), William Saliba (Arsenal) and Jules Kounde (Barcelona). All five could well figure in the 26-man squad to be revealed by Didier Deschamps on 9 November.
READ ALSO: England Dreams Of World Cup Return To Spiritual Home
Winning Group D seems well within the reach of Les Tricolores. Tunisia are relatively inexperienced at this level, with only five World Cup appearances to their name prior to Qatar 2022, as opposed to Les Bleus’ 15. As for Australia, France have happy memories of facing them at Russia 2018, defeating them 2-1 in their opening match in the group phase.
Denmark ought to provide the stiffest test, having become France’s new bogey team. Without a win against the Danes in seven years, Les Bleus lost twice to them in the UEFA Nations League this year, in June and September.
France’s Group D fixtures
22 November
France-Australia, 22:00 local time, Al Janoub Stadiumb d’Al Wakrah
26 November
France-Denmark, 19:00 local time, Stadium 974 Doha
30 November
Tunisia-France, 18:00 local time, Education City Stadium, Doha
Deschamps’ approach and tactics
Appointed coach ten years ago, Didier Deschamps is as pragmatic as they come. As he has said on many occasions, he does not have a system set in stone and prefers to adapt to the attributes of his players. “Every system is good,” he told FIFA+. “What matters is how you use them.”
“Didier likes to see a lot of intensity in matches,” explained Stephan. “He’s not a coach who wants possession for possession’s sake. He also wants there to be a direct link with the attack, so transitions are important.”
The Bleus coach likes his full-backs to get forward too. Benjamin Pavard’s stunning strike against Argentina at Russia 2018 was the perfect example of that.
Key player: Karim Benzema
The Real Madrid forward had a 2021/22 season to remember and was named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year as a result. Along with Mbappe, he will be France’s main man in Qatar. Since resuming his international career at UEFA EURO 2020, following an absence of five and a half years, the former Lyon striker has scored 10 goals in 16 international appearances and has shown how much of a matchwinner he is.
As he approaches his 35th birthday, KB9 has never been in better form. “He’s a world-class player,” said Kounde. “He’s got the lot, there’s not much he can’t do and he’s the linchpin of our whole game. He’s a very positive person to have around and he’s a natural leader too.”
“Karim is the best No9 in the world right now,” said Pavard. “He performs every time he plays for France and he lifts us up.”
“This World Cup is a very important tournament for him,” commented Deschamps. “The years go by and though anything can happen, this will probably be his last World Cup.”
Benzema made a fast start at his last world finals, Brazil 2014, scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Honduras in France’s opening match. He ended the tournament with three goals in five games. Eight years on, can he make an impact at Qatar 2022?
Prime Business Africa’s prediction: France is expected to be one of the two countries that will advance to the knockout stage from Group D.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
Follow Us