With experience to the long-awaited success? France is going into the World Cup with many experienced players. To start with, a mandatory win against Jamaica on Sunday (07/23/2023, 12:00 p.m. CEST) is planned.
All new with France: After a lot of trouble last autumn and winter, one of the top teams in women’s world football made a kind of revolution in February. Longtime coach Corinne Diacre was fired. It just didn’t work anymore. Despite strong results – France were at least quarter-finalists at the last three World Cups – the coach had to leave.
Frosty treatment of players
Diacre – French national coach since 2017 – had not nominated several experienced players in 2022 before the European Championships in England. Among them top executives such as Eugenie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry. Above all, she was increasingly accused of being extremely frosty in dealing with the players – her cancellation phone call to Henry, for example, is said to have lasted 14 seconds.
When defense chief Wendie Renard announced her resignation from the national team in protest against the trainer in February, the barrel was full. Diacre had to go. With Hervé Renard, an experienced trainer who already has two world championships “under his belt” was hired without further ado. Even though he was in charge of two men’s teams there, Morocco (2018) and Saudi Arabia (2022).
Hervé Renard – he can handle difficult characters
Renard is known for being able to deal with “difficult” players. He proved that when he united Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast team with “square” stars and led them to victory at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015.
So now he has reunited the veteran women of France – also a bit out of necessity. With Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, two young top stars will miss the World Cup due to injury.
The latest bad news for France: Against Jamaica you also have to do without defenders Elisa De Almeida and Selma Bacha. De Almeida, who has been playing for Paris St. Germain since 2021, injured her calf in training, Bacha (Lyon) continues to complain of pain in her left ankle. According to Renard, both are out of the question for use.
A young star and a lot of experience
But he has discovered a new rising star in the French football sky with 19-year-old Vicki Becho. The central midfielder shone at Olympique Lyonnais over the course of last season and is now set to play an important role in the national team as well.
At the side of the experienced: Wendie Renard, Amandine Henry and Eugenie Le Sommer should lead the team and aim for that success that “Les Bleues” have been waiting for so long: a World Cup medal. In any case, Eugenie Le Sommer recently formulated the goal clearly: it should be the title. “It’s a big goal and we know it’s going to be difficult, but we have to aim high and have ambitions given the level of our team.”
Facts about the game
Play against each other: none
– FIFA Ranking: France 5th / Jamaica 53rd
– Best World Cup placement: France – 4th place 2011 / Jamaica – preliminary round 2019
– Fun fact: France’s last seven World Cup goals have all come in the second half.
