France 1-0 Guinea: Thierry Henry's side continue unbeaten start as Kiliann Sildillia's goal seals win at Paris 2024
/dnl.tntsports.co.uk/sd/img/placeholder/tnt_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 28/07/2024 at 00:48 GMT+1
France moved closer to the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympic football tournament, with Kiliann Sildillias's goal sealing a narrow win for Thierry Henry's side against Guinea. Guinea were dogged opponents for the hosts, and gave France a scare when they twice had the ball in the net. Henry will still look for improvement from his side but they have strong foundations to build on.
Pires wants Zidane as next France manager - but backs Deschamps in short-term
Video credit: TNT Sports
France made it two wins out of two at the 2024 Olympics with a late victory over Guinea in the men’s football competition in Nice.
Kiliann Sildillia’s glancing header won the match with 15 minutes to go, as France overcame a disjointed performance early on.
The goal came after a spell of rising French pressure in the second half, during which substitute Arnaud Kalimuendo hit the post.
Guinea had much the better of the first half, with disallowed goals for Naby Keita and Abdoulaye Toure and a header from Ilaix Moriba that was cleared off the line by Castello Lukeba.
Group A will conclude on Tuesday, with France taking on New Zealand in Marseille and Guinea facing the USA in St Etienne.
TALKING POINT - Will it click for Henry’s men?
It was a slog in Nice to get the victory tonight, and France were left with as many questions as answers after a patchy performance was glossed over with Sildillia’s late header. If they are to win gold in their own back yard in this competition, it looks like it’ll take a bit of graft.
A home win would be something truly special; Spain had a rapturous victory in Barcelona in 1992, while Brazil scratched their longstanding Olympic itch with a cathartic triumph in Rio eight years ago. If the French players are wondering how gold in the men’s football might be received, they need only look at the joy on show when the national team won the men’s rugby sevens earlier today.
The good news is that there is still time to find the formula that might bring forth victory. The group and a first place finish are not yet secure, but a point against New Zealand on Tuesday would do the necessary. That’s the minimum requirement; Henry will be looking for a performance that could give the hosts momentum into the knockout stages, and a pathway to something truly magical.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Michael Olise (France)
If you didn’t know already, tonight provided evidence that Olise is a serious talent that Bayern Munich were right to go big on. He took a little while to warm into the game, but he took over the final half an hour and his piercing cross set up the only goal of the night.
PLAYER RATINGS
France: Restes 6; Sildillia 7, Bade 7, Lukeba 7, Truffert 6; Kone 6, Chotard 6; Akliouche 5, Lacazette 6, Olise 8; Mateta 6
SUBS: Doue 6, Millot 6, Kalimuendo 7
Guinea: Sylla 6, Cisse 6, Soumah 6, Madiou Keita 6, Balde 6, Diawara 6, Toure 6, Diallo 6, Naby Keita 6, Ilaix Moriba 6, Bah 6
SUBS: Issiaga Camara 6, Henry Camara 5, Oulare 6, Henri Camara 5
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
34' France 0-0 Guinea Big chance! Olise slide rules a pass through to Mateta, who is through down the middle. Mateta opens his body up to shoot and Sylla rushes at him, smothering the shot and sending the ball out for a corner. That is a superb save.
40' France 0-0 Guinea Disallowed goal! Diallo cuts in from the right and into the French area, before hitting a feeble bobbler at goal. Naby Keita chucks a leg at it, which kills the ball and allows him to slide it past Restes, but he's a yard offside.
45+2' France 0-0 Guinea We think we've got a goal, but it's chalked! Oh me oh my. What looks an innocuous free kick on the left of the French half is whipped perfectly into the French area by Diallo. There arrives Toure, totally unmarked, and he plants a thumping header into the bottom corner with Restes rooted. It's checked though, and Toure went half a stride too early and was offside. That's nixed some pretty ecstatic celebrations by Guinea.
45+10' France 0-0 Guinea Oh what a chance! Balde loops a cross to the back post, where Moriba rises to send a header over Restes which is cleared off the line by Lukeba. The cleared ball falls to Balde, who chests the ball own and booms a volley high over the bar from 12 yards out. Guinea should be in front here.
73' France 0-0 Guinea France should be in front! Olise slides a gorgeous pass through to Kalimuendo in the right of the area, who then batters a shot off the near post and out with Sylla beaten all ends up!
75' Goal! France 1-0 Guinea It's been coming, and France lead! Olise whips in a delicious cross from the right touchline, which Sildillia meets unmarked from 12 yards out. Sildillia's glancing header flies into the bottom corner, and Nice goes wild!
KEY STAT
Share this article
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement