Khadija came to see the World Cup final in the Bondy Sports Palace with the panoply: tricolor scarf, tricolor wig, large blue white red flag. But she could have come all in green: the colors of AS Bondy. Because for her, it’s “the people of Bondy first and foremost!” It’s good to hear positive things from Bondy! “Bondy, you know, this city of Seine-Saint-Denis which has just given three goals to France against Argentina with Kylian Mbappé. And almost gave him a 4th, that of the title, in stoppage time in the second overtime, with Randal Kolo Muani.
How to sum up the afternoon experienced by the few hundred people gathered in this gymnasium, when in just a few minutes we went from a deep lethargic state to enthusiastic fusion? We never thought we’d get there for a long time, let’s be honest. The day started out cold and lackluster. The Marseillaise allows the public to warm up, but nothing more. It must be said that the France team, which did not shoot on goal once in the first half, does not help to get carried away. “There’s nothing going, we lose all the balls! Kylian Mbappé’s breakthroughs are rare but reported: “Go Kyky, go Kylou”, we hear at the sports hall.
“But we are not going to defend, we are behind 2 zer! »
After the penalty – obviously non-existent for some in the public – from Lionel Messi, the goal of Angel di Maria finished sinking the sports hall. Even the entry of the second Bondynois, Randal Kolo Muani, goes unnoticed. Besides, not everyone comes back at the start of the second half. Those who still believe in it take advantage of the slightest successful French control in the opposing 30 meters to raise their voices a little. The game of the France team lands: “But finally defend! / But we’re not going to defend, we’re trailing! “. At that time, France still had not shot on goal.
There are only children left to wave the flags and sing “go the Blues” in an increasingly dark gymnasium. And then… The light. The peno of hope, first. Which no one sees is provoked by Kolo Muani. And how much ? A minute later? We don’t really know anymore. Legalization. “Kyyyyyyyyylian Mbappééééééééééé”, shouts the announcer into the microphone. The Bondynois has just changed the course of the match. The room rocks. We go from nothing to everything. The shock is too great: the tears are already there. It shouts in all directions, there’s more people seated. It must be said that the chairs collapsed quite a bit, so the organizers preferred to store most of them. The match has just started in Bondy.
The tension meant that Messi’s extra-time goal barely rattled the crowd. Bondy has confidence. The room accompanies his prodigal son on the second penalty: “Kylian! Kylian! Kylian! Kylian! “… And Mbappé agrees with him. “The child of the country has not betrayed his fellow citizens”, remarks the mayor, Stephen Hervé. We are no longer cold: Bondy has just spent an hour in a centrifuge, and thought he would become the center of the world in the 122nd minute. Alas, the two successful shots on goal by Mbappé and Kolo Muani were not enough to bring the cup home. “But it’s already stratospheric”, notes Narcisse, disappointed, “as if we were used to this kind of performance”. The “prize” of top scorer consoles Khadija a bit. We should still “hear positive things” about Bondy.