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16 June 2023
France 2-2 (3-4 pen) Mexico : Post-game reactions
The France has been eliminated from the tournament after being defeated in penalty shoot-out against Mexico. Discover the post-match reactions from the managers and players.
Bernard Diomède (France head coach) :
"Unfortunately, right from the start of the match, we didn't necessarily respect them, especially in our defensive organization, which allowed them to trouble us and gain confidence. We tried to address it during halftime, and we did manage to come back each time in the first half. However, I believe we had the opportunity to do better."
"We knew what they still had in mind since their coach was the same as last year. In their defeat against us, we saw less intensity and impact, but this time we sensed a highly motivated team. They were clever in the game, committing those small fouls that are enough to throw you off. That's what I call experience, and it should serve us in the future. From the beginning, there has been an age difference, so we also did it to give our players more experience quickly, which will always be positive going forward."
"There is still one more match, the third-place playoff, and we will play it until the end. We'll need to go after that third spot on Sunday against Australia. We'll assess the players' freshness and see how they recover because I believe this match has had an impact. We're playing in two days, so it's coming up quickly, but we have 24 players, and we'll find the energy and the players to compete in this playoff and show the quality in this squad."
"We will definitely make some changes because there are players who have been here and playing since the beginning. The idea is to give playing time to everyone while maintaining a competitive team. When you have a competitive group, there's no reason not to have a team capable of facing Australia, even though there will be a significant athletic challenge."
Sael Kumbedi (France player) :
"It's true that we could have done it because there's no qualification, but I think we leave this tournament with our heads held high. We are the youngest team in the tournament, but that's not an excuse, so yes, there are regrets, but we still leave with our heads held high."
"I don't think we lacked freshness. They defended well, were compact at the back, and we tried to find openings around their defensive block, but unfortunately, we couldn't find them."
Raul Chabrand (Mexico head coach) :
"First of all, I'd like to take my hat off to the French team. They're a great team with a lot of quality. The number one objective will be to recover well, as this match was difficult.
Then we're going to prepare properly for the final. Obviously, we've already had a good look at Panama, so we're going to prepare well for this match to find out their weak points and push on from there.
The results are very positive, the players have grown and learnt too. The players who took part in last year's tournament bring a wealth of experience with them. The older players learn from these experienced players."
Angel Robles (Mexico player) :
"I'm really happy with my goal and I'm working hard for it. In Mexico, we have a team with balls and today we showed them.
We're a team that doesn't give up and we're very happy to have reached the final.
For me, today is revenge.
I lost in the semi-final to France last year. Now we're going to prepare for the final against Panama and go for this last victory."
