The French team launched its World Cup. In Stavanger in southwest Norway, the Olympic champions beat, as expected, a good team from Angola. It is often said that the first match sets the tempo of a competition. This leaves no assurance for the future. as the confrontation was much, much more complicated than expected. The Blues had to heat up the diesel at the start of the match before finding the right cruising speed. There were too many inaccuracies, too many lost balls, lapses in concentration. They narrowly missed against Angola (30-29) but they will not be able to play with fire against more solid opponents.
Already qualified for the Olympic Games like Norway, Brazil, Korea and France of course, Angola is not the best nation on the African continent for nothing. The French suffered initially at the start of the match to shake off the Angolan grip. During the first 20 minutes, Angola held the match and especially the score to the point of leading 7-4 (12th). Before starting the last ten minutes of the first half, the two teams were still neck and neck (11-11, 20th).
Surprising but undoubtedly we should not underestimate this Angolan team, African champions. Fortunately for captain Estelle Nze Minko’s teammates, the Angolans did not last the distance in the first period. They started to crack before slowly falling behind. At the break, France was ahead 18-15. A well-paid gap given the start of the match.
“Overall, we played badly, that’s for sure”
Have the Blues taken shelter? At no moment. Angola has constantly remained a threat, making its breath felt on the necks of the French women. Two minutes from the end, in a suffocating suspense, the two teams were tied 28-28. Same one minute from time: 29-29. Angola then came close to the feat before the Blue regained a one-goal lead and the Angolans wasted the match point at the last second. “The main thing is the victory points. Overall, we played badly, that’s for sure. We panicked in attack, the team froze. Mentally, we were not well. All the credit goes to the players who won anyway,” reassures Olivier Krumbholz at the microphone of BeIN SPORT.
With this very complicated victory, France takes control of Group D. That’s what counts. The Bleues of Olivier Krumbholz, who took his place for the 509th time on the bench since his first match in 1998, will face Iceland on Saturday (5 p.m., BeIN SPORT) then Slovenia on Monday (8 p.m., BeIN SPORT), winner of Iceland 30-24 in the first match. Unless there are any surprises, it should go well. France is on paper a level above its two opponents. But what the French showed in the opening match is not reassuring.
