The public at the Parc des Princes had the opportunity to work their legs on Saturday, November 13. As soon as he sat down in his seat he had to get up again to celebrate the messy goals scored by the France team against Kazakhstan (8-0) during a meeting that allowed the Blues to validate their ticket for the next World Cup, in Qatar (21 November-18 December 2022).
By winning with eight goals, Didier Deschamps’ players had fun against dumbfounded Kazakhstanis and won the biggest success of the France team for seven years and a friendly match played against Jamaica, the January 8, 2014 (8-0). But also and above all, the biggest success of the Habs in official competition since September 6, 1995 and a qualifying meeting for the Euro against Azerbaijan (10-0).
Yesterday, the France team did not simply fulfill its objective of obtaining a place for the next World Cup. She applied herself at the time of doing so, while giving the impression of being able to score on each acceleration. Unaccustomed to qualifying on the penultimate day of a World Cup qualifying campaign – a first since 1981 – the France team is even less used to crushing its opponents, however weak they may be. .
Kazakhstan offered very weak opposition to the Blues on Saturday night. The warm-up of the players of the 125th nation in the FIFA rankings on the billiards of the Parc des Princes spoke volumes about the level differential between the two teams, the Kazakhstanis struggling with three passes. But in the first leg, the France team had won only 2-0, like some matches in which the Blues played it small arms, managing their lead in score.
It was a bit like the history of the France team in recent years: always qualified but without inflicting heavy slaps on its lower level opponents, a habit taken by its neighbors like Germany, Belgium or even the Netherlands. So far, the biggest success in the Deschamps-era qualifying campaign was a 4-0, against Andorra and Iceland in 2019, and the Netherlands in 2017.
14 – France is guaranteed to participate in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, its 14th consecutive major tournament (World Cup + EURO). The Blues have not been absent from a major international competition since the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Habit. #FRAKAZ pic.twitter.com/KGqHHg8ymS
– OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 13, 2021
Kazakhstan conceded the double last night, a sign that Deschamps’ team is evolving in its approach, just like the coach. The latter took risks during this year 2021, recalling for example Karim Benzema when he could have camped on his positions. Yesterday, Deschamps had chosen to align Kingsley Coman in the right piston – a success – a much more offensive option than Benjamin Pavard. Above all, his players were serious from start to finish, always involved, with the desire to go for one more goal until the last minute of the match.
“I’m not going to talk about a perfect night, but we always try to get closer to perfection and it looked like it with what all the players put on.”, explained Deschamps, aware of the involvement of his players, in a press conference after the match. By respecting the game, the Blues also served their better placed teammates before thinking about themselves.
“Kylian (Mbappé) could have put in a quintuplet but he preferred to let Antoine take the penalty. The offensive players shared the happiness of the efficiency”, underlined the coach. Author of a quadruplet, the first from a team player since Just Fontaine in 1958, Mbappé was the symbol of this playful French team, ready to fight from the first to the last minute and altruistic , with an assist for Benzema in the second half.
With this sense of perfection, the Blues avoid a difficult final to play in Finland on Tuesday, November 16, and conclude in the best possible way a qualifying campaign during which they often complicated their task. All that remains is to surf on the victory in the League of Nations and this very large success to end the year well on the side of Helsinki. Before plunging into a year 2022 which may seem long, the World Cup not taking place until November.