Bernard Diomède’s young French side battled bravely but couldn’t find a way past Colombia, settling for fourth place at the Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia.
France’s U-20 side fell narrowly short of a medal at the World Cup in Indonesia, losing 1-0 to Colombia in the third-place playoff on Saturday.
Bernard Diomède’s Bleuets, already heartbroken after their semi-final defeat to Morocco on penalties (1-1, 5-4), were undone by an early Colombian strike and finished the tournament in fourth place.
It was a nightmare start for the young French team. Barely two minutes had passed when Oscar Perea pounced on a costly error from Nantes midfielder Moustapha Dabo to slot past Justin Bengui.
The early goal stunned the French, who struggled to find their rhythm in a flat first half that produced few real chances.
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Their best opportunity came midway through the half, when Dabo’s shot inside the box was accidentally blocked by his own teammate, Fodé Sylla.
The unlucky Sylla had to leave the pitch shortly after following a concussion check, with Mayssam Benama coming on in his place.
Dabo later tested the Colombian keeper from a free kick, while captain Elyaz Zidane appealed in vain for a penalty after a tangle with Mosquera.
The second half saw a livelier French side push harder for an equaliser. Dabo again went close, heading straight at the keeper from a great position with eight minutes to go.
Moments later, the Bleuets thought they had a penalty for a foul on Lucas Michal, only for the referee to reverse his decision after a VAR review.
France kept pressing right to the end. Deep into stoppage time, Noham Kamara saw his shot deflect off a Colombian arm without reward from the referee, and Ilane Touré rattled the crossbar with a thunderous strike that Bonnet in the Colombian goal just managed to tip.
Despite their spirited finish and Diomède’s depleted squad – around forty players were unavailable as clubs refused to release them – France can take pride in a campaign that showcased plenty of promise and resilience.
The bronze slipped away, but the future of Les Bleuets still looks bright.
(With AFP)
