The preparation for the 2023 World Cup will therefore be done with Kheira Hamraoui. The PSG midfielder, who has been playing regularly for several months in a club, was summoned by Corinne Deacon on Wednesday, as we have been suggesting since Tuesday. A significant choice for the Blues while the investigation into the attack suffered by the 33-year-old player in November 2021 still has human consequences between Hamraoui and part of the France group.
From the headquarters of the FFF, the coach of the France team unveiled the list of players summoned for the French tournament against Denmark (February 15, 9:10 p.m.), Uruguay (February 18, 9:10 p.m.) and Norway (February 21, 9:10 p.m.), from February 15 to 21 in Laval and Angers. This is the last list before that of the World Cup, which will take place this summer in Australia and New Zealand, from July 20 to August 20, where the Blues will be in the group of Brazil and Jamaica and a play-off team still to be defined.
To justify this return, Corinne Deacon advanced: “Because she had playing time at the end of 2022 and this Tournoi de France will allow me to do a squad review. So it was time. You will also notice that the list is expanded since I have called up more than 23 players for this gathering. »
The last time that Kheira Hamraoui (39 selections) had been called up dated back to the France 2022 tournament, at the same period. It was on this occasion that Diani and Katoto celebrated a goal by making an “A” with their fingers for their girlfriend Aminata Diallo. Her sidelining at PSG between the end of April and September 2022 de facto excluded her from other calls and in particular from the Euro last July.
Asked if she was afraid of the possible human consequences of this return, Deacon replied: “Afraid of me? Never. We play soccer. Kheira is part of PSG. It’s going pretty well at PSG. There is no reason for things to go wrong with us”.
Hamraoui has 14 appearances with PSG, including 9 starts, his playing time has decreased since early January: 0 starts in three D1 games, only one in the Coupe de France, on January 28. “In order not to gossip, I think that Kheira Hamraoui must bring a lot more to the team, however, said his trainer Gérard Prêcheur last week. There is the notion of performance, of balance in the team. Today, she is not physically ready. »
Deacon therefore judged that this was not an obstacle to the summoning of the Parisian. “I will already see what she will do with us, said the coach. I also want to see her again to see what athletic impact she can bring to us. Indeed, she has had a little less playing time since the start of 2023, but Paris will have important deadlines quickly, so she will find some playing time. She will have the opportunity to show us her desire. I know it will be very important. But it is an element among the team. We are not going to make a whole case of the Hamraoui case. We will leave what happened in the past and focus on the future. »
