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2 months ago
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During the difficult victory of Thierry Henry’s French team against Guinea (1-0), Saturday evening in Nice, Jean-Philippe Mateta, associated with Alexandre Lacazette up front, chained together a second lackluster performance.
Thierry Henry was thinking about making some changes to his starting eleven for the French Olympic team’s second match at the Paris 2024 football tournament, against Guinea, on Saturday in Nice, just three days after an opening victory against the United States (3-0) at the Vélodrome. Jean-Philippe Mateta, who could have given way to Arnaud Kalimuendo after a disappointing performance against Team USA, was lined up from the start, alongside Alexandre Lacazette in the attacking duo.
Mateta was finally replaced by Kalimuendo in the 58th minute of the game. And this was quite logical. The Crystal Palace striker, who was not very successful in the game, missed a huge opportunity when he came up against the Syli National goalkeeper, Jean-Philippe Mateta (34th). Michael Olise had perfectly launched the centre forward trained in Drancy and Châteauroux (he is a native of Sevran, in Seine-Saint-Denis). Negative and even mocking comments flew at X, with the (rare) followers of the game recalling the clumsiness of Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani, who were clumsy during Euro 2024 in Germany with the France A team.
Thierry Henry will rotate
Jean-Philippe Mateta, 1.92 m, has a pivot profile that is more suited to the more mobile Alexandre Lacazette, and can serve as a support point for the other French players. The 27-year-old player (who is one of three older players with “Laca” and Loïc Badé, 24) is coming off a great season at Crystal Palace, with 16 goals scored in the Premier League (his hat-trick on the last day of the championship boosted his stats). And he scored twice in the first warm-up match against Paraguay. Disappointing since then, he could lose his place in the eleven.
After this second victory in Group A of the men’s football tournament, thanks to a header from right-back Kiliann Sildillia in the 75th minute, the French team has qualified for the quarter-finals and Thierry Henry could, this time, really shake up his squad by sparing a good part of his starters, in three days against New Zealand, again in Marseille. A good performance from Kalimuendo and “Titi’s” plans could change for the rest of the competition.
Written by:
Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team.
 
 As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers.
 
 When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.
