Will there finally be successors to the generation of Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec, on the roof of the world in 2001? The French team has in any case snatched its place for the second final in its history in the Under-17 Football World Cup, by beating Mali this Tuesday (2-1). In Indonesia, she will face Germany on Saturday (1 p.m.) for a remake of the last Euro U17 final, lost in June on penalties (0-0, 4-5) by Jean-Luc Vannuchi’s players .
Winners on penalties in the round of 16 of this World Cup against Senegal (0-0, 5-3) then in the last minutes of play in the quarterfinals against Uzbekistan thanks to Ismail Bouneb (1-0, 83rd), the young Tricolores still trembled until the end. Trailing after a ball from goalkeeper Paul Argney benefiting Ibrahim Diarra (0-1, 45+4), the Bleuets were able to turn the match around in the second period.
“It’s the mind that wins”
They took advantage of Souleymane Sanogo’s frightening foul to move into numerical superiority from the 55th minute of play. A recovery from Yvann Titi (1-1, 56th) then a free kick from Ismail Bouneb, decidedly decisive in this competition (2-1, 69), changed everything. As Le Havre’s Paul Argney made up for it by deflecting a superb free kick onto his crossbar (89th), the French team was able to exult, after an interminable additional time of fourteen minutes.
“It’s a great source of pride, it’s the mentality that wins,” said the man of the match, Ismail Bouneb (Valenciennes), also the decisive passer on the equalizer. “Strangely, I wasn’t worried at half-time, I knew it could be reversed,” assures Jean-Luc Vannuchi after this major victory. I have an exceptional group. We have the revenge of the Euro to compete against Germany, we must not miss this last step. » Twenty-two years later, France has a golden opportunity to once again put its training in the spotlight among the youngest.