Already beaten in their first match, Landry Chauvin’s players gave in to Gambia on Thursday in Argentina, before challenging Honduras on Sunday.
The France team is on the verge of elimination after losing again to Gambia 2-1 in its second match of the Under-20 World Cup on Thursday in Mendoza, Argentina.
Already beaten at the opening on Monday by the same score by South Korea, the young French still showed defensive shortcomings this time against the semi-finalists of the U20 African Cup of Nations. Last of Group F before the match between South Korea and Honduras in the evening, the Bleuets are close to the exit before their last match against the Hondurans on Sunday. The Gambians are already qualified for the round of 16.
Coach Landry Chauvin made three changes from the opening match with the start of three Monegasques: midfielder Soungoutou Magassa, striker Malamine Efekele and goalkeeper Yann Liénard. But a very bad recovery in the axis of the latter led to the opening of the opposing score. The Gambians recovered the ball after this blunder by the French goalkeeper who then repelled the strike from Adama Bojang, but to make matters worse it was diverted into his own camp by Tanguy Zoukrou (13th).
Short-lived joy
The AS Monaco goalkeeper, however, made up for it by diverting a penalty from Alagie Saine in the 57th minute. In the process, Wilson Odobert equalized with a header at the far post (61st). A short-lived joy for the French. Mamin Sanyang, who entered at the end of the first period, overtook Jordan Semedo in the box to deceive Liénard with a powerful shot (68th) and restore the advantage to the Gambians.
France’s only success in the U20 World Cup dates back to 2013, when Paul Pogba’s band defeated Uruguay on penalties.
