The essential
- Already qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Didier Deschamps’ men are off to a smooth start to 2022 with two friendly matches. The first, won Friday in Marseille against Côte d’Ivoire (2-1), and the second this Tuesday against South Africa in Lille.
- For this match against Bafana Bafana, Olivier Giroud is once again established by Didier Deschamps. Scorer against Côte d’Ivoire on Friday, he brought his total to 47 in blue. II is only 4 lengths behind Thierry Henry, top scorer in the history of the selection, with 51 goals.
- At his side, Kylian Mbappé takes the place of Christopher Nkunku, who experienced his first cape four days ago. In the cage, Mike Maignan will experience his first tenure in the France team, as will Lensois Jonathan Clauss and Marseilles William Saliba.
Follow the pre-match live:
18th. The Blues are on the attack again. Mbappé makes the difference on the left side before serving Digne. The Aston Villa player then passes on to Rabiot in the area who tries to play one touch on Mbappé. South African defense intervention.
16th. Dangerous strike from Mbappé. On the left of the field, the Parisian managed a small bridge over Mvala before unleashing a powerful shot from the right. The leather leaks inches from Williams’ frame.
14th Rabiot and Saliba intervene in the air. The Blues then launched the counter-attack on the right wing but Jonathan Clauss’ pass towards the heart of the game was blocked.
13th. Foul by Varane. Taken by Fagrie Lakaye, the Manchester United defender makes a gross mistake and concedes an interesting free kick for the visitors.
11th Xulu remains on the ground. Visibly affected near the surface, the South African defender is examined by the trainers. He can finally take his place.
9th First shot on target for the South Africans. On a slightly eccentric free kick on the right, Lyle Lakay tries his luck directly. It’s directly in Mike Maignan’s niche.
7th New Blue Offensive! We switch to the right this time with Clauss who in turn is looking for Giroud in the area. Intervention of Williams, the doorman of Bafana Bafana.
5th. OH the first chance for the blues!! Shifted to the left, Lucas Digne crosses perfectly at the near post for Giroud who takes over in first intention. The South African goalkeeper intervenes spectacularly.
4th. A few whistles against Clauss. As one might fear, the touches of balls from Lensois Jonathan Clauss are accompanied by a handful of whistles emanating from the Lille spans.
2nd. Nice first intervention from Maignan. On a ball lost by Kanté, the Bafana Bafana shift Foster on the left side. The South African striker tries to find his teammate in the area but the AC Milan goalkeeper intervenes on the ground.
1st. HERE WE GO !! Swiss referee Sandro Schärer kicks off the game.
9:10 p.m. The entrance of the two teams on the lawn. Nearly 50,000 spectators fill the stands of the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Lille. The atmosphere is beautiful and the hymns will be able to resound
9:07 p.m. N’Golo Kanté, already six years with the Blues. Le Parisien looks back on 6 matches that marked the career of the Chelsea midfielder in the jersey of the France team.
21h. Lebo Mothiba, premier supporter des Bafana Bafana. He is certainly the most famous South African player in France. Lebo Mothiba has spent his entire career in France from Lille, where he was trained, to Troyes, his current club, via Strasbourg where he scored 14 goals in 61 games played. The striker has just returned from a series of knee injuries and hasn’t been selected for this international streak. The one who has worn the South African jersey 14 times paints a portrait of his selection without hiding his admiration for the Blues.
8:50 p.m. Didier Deschamps, a confident coach. A few months before the start of the World Cup, the French coach already has in mind the main lines of his typical team. This match against South Africa as well as the four League of Nations matches next June should allow DD to make the final adjustments.
8:45 p.m. South Africa starting XI : With an overwhelming majority of players playing in the local league. Note, however, the presence on the bench of former Montpellier player Keagan Dolly (65 games with the MHSC between 2017 and 2021). Not qualified for the last African Cup of Nations, the Bafana Bafana will not be traveling to Qatar for the next World Cup either.
The composition (in 4-3-3) : Williams – Mobbie, Xulu, Sibisi, Lakay – Mokoena, Mvala, Monare – Lakay, Foster, Hlongwane.
8:40 p.m. The composition of the blues: Several changes in this starting XI compared to the match against Côte d’Ivoire (2-1). If Olivier Giroud keeps his place on the front of the attack, he will evolve alongside Kylian Mbappé in a 3-5-2. The Kanté / Rabiot pair replaces the Pogba / Tchouaméni duo in the middle while Jonathan Clauss, William Saliba and Mike Maignan will experience their first tenure in the France team.
20h30. Hello everyone! Welcome to this live to follow the friendly match of the Blues against South Africa. Kick-off is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Lille.