A first competition with Les Bleues, a first world title. There are worse beginnings for Hatadou Sako. The Metz goalkeeper, who signed for Gyor, was also one of the key players in the final won against Norway (31-28), with four saves, including a penalty, in thirty minutes. At 28, the one who forms the last bastion duo with Laura Glauser is enjoying it, especially since four years ago, she played in the World Cup… with Senegal.
How did you experience your first major competition with the French team?
It was incredible. I experienced it without too much stress. I told myself that these things had to be experienced 100%. I didn’t want to let myself be polluted by things that could have prevented me from enjoying this competition, such as the stress generated by the media before an important match, the requests from left and right as it progressed. of the competition, the great performances during a match… I tried to leave everything that could revolve around me outside, to concentrate on myself and the girls. We had a very intense month, where we only had one day off. It was intense and beautiful. I also managed to discover what the French team was like in competition, and that was magical.
What state of mind do you go into during the World Cup final, just after half-time?
I realize that it’s the World Cup final, but I take it so lightly, I tell myself that it’s a match like any other. I’ve played eight matches in the competition, why would this one be any different in approach? I told myself that if I wanted to win, I had to arrive with the same motivation, the same state of mind as in the previous matches, to be ready no matter when I was needed. When Olivier [Krumbholz] said to me: “Hatadou, you’re going back”, it was the moment, my moment, the one I’ve been waiting for. I told myself that I shouldn’t let him slip away. It’s better to enjoy and see the result than to have regrets.
There’s not even any stress?
So, it’s true that from the start, when I entered the field, I was stressed, a little introverted. Several girls have told me this. But, in fact, more than stress, I was really very, very focused. I knew it would pass as soon as I touched my first ball. And I make a stop on Stine Skogrand (39th), on the wing, where we are outnumbered, and I say to myself: “That’s it, that’s it, there you can let go”. Afterwards, yes, I stopped Henny Reistad’s penalty [46e, possibilité pour la Norvège de revenir à deux buts], but, frankly, I don’t know if it’s really the seesaw, because I don’t even look at the score. I focus on the ball, telling myself that I have to save this penalty. The moment I really realize it is when we take the timeout with 35 seconds to go. The only time I looked at the score before that was ten minutes before, and I was like, “Wow, how long is that.”
Your trajectory is quite crazy, because four years ago you were far from Les Bleues…
It’s crazy. Already, when I arrive at the start of the Worlds, the objectives are not the same. With Senegal, the goal was to win a match. With France, it was a minimum of quarter. It’s not the same court. And it felt strange when we arrived, because there was nothing that assured us of reaching the quarter-finals. In fact, yes, the status, the players meant that people were convinced that we would achieve this objective. The road was long, strewn with pitfalls, not easy to navigate, but the reward was there. My decisions, my choices, my thoughts paid off.
Did you have any doubts during the three years during which you could not play for the national team, in the hope of being called up to the French team?
No, I didn’t doubt, even during the period when I was crusading. At no time did I doubt, because I knew where I was going. I worked very hard, I had support in Metz, I knew that I was going to continue to progress, that I had to take care of my body, I discovered myself, I learned about myself, by working on the aspect physical and mental. I didn’t want to project myself too far ahead. Afterwards, a few days before I could be selected, I didn’t tell myself that I was there, but that the work had been done.
How did the reunion with Senegal go, during the preparation match?
It was magical. Nothing happens by chance. It was a moment that I had to experience. My dream, with two teammates from Senegal, was to play against the French team. We have not succeeded in doing so. I had become their adversary, and this memory is priceless, because I manage to realize the trajectory that I managed to take.
A few days after the world title, are you still on cloud nine?
Yes, still on cloud nine. Afterwards, I’m still a little more rested, because we’ve accumulated a lot of fatigue since the day of the final. But it’s okay, we’re coming back down little by little, we’re finding our families. Afterwards, we’re still a little in it, with interventions left and right, but that’s okay. At the time, I still said to myself: “How did we manage to win everything, beating Norway twice in the same competition? »
Before the Worlds, Olivier Krumbholz implied that it was better not to win the competition before the Games…
We didn’t say to ourselves that we wanted to be champions, we just wanted to progress during the competition and go as far as possible. We did not directly display our objectives. But we saw our ability to move forward and progress, and little by little, we thought about the final victory. Arriving in the quarter-finals, we looked at each other and wondered if it was possible to do it. And obviously it was possible to do it.