(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
France coach Raymond Domenech came under increased pressure as he watched his French side go down 1-0 to Nigeria in a friendly in St. Etienne on Tuesday night.
The only goal of the game was scored by Joseph Akpala of Club Brugge just after the half-hour mark and the home side were unable to find a way back into the match, but came closest when Loic Remy, making his debut for the national side, hit the bar with two minutes remaining.
France were missing Thierry Henry up front but were able to start with Ribéry supporting Benzema and Anelka up front. Nigeria were also missing several key players in the shape of Jon Obi Mikel, John Utaka, and Taye Taiwo.
The match was the first ever between the two nations and the French public were left distinctly unimpressed by the final score.
The national team are finding themselves increasingly estranged from their supporters and star striker Karim Benzema was booed by the crowd from the start due to being a Lyon player. All current and ex-Lyon players received the same reception.
Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra was recently critical of the lack of support received by the French team at the Stade de France and found that nothing was different in St. Etienne, stating “They [the supporters] have confirmed what I said. It’s serious. We weren’t very good, but they were zero”.
Captain Patrick Vieira was highly critical of the crowd’s treatment of the Lyon players and finds it hard to find a solution. “The French team have made efforts to move towards the public, but it’s like that and we have to make due, count on ourselves, not generalise and hope that things will be different in Lyon (where France will play next)."
L’Equipe pulled no punches in labelling the game “a tactical defeat”; scorning the team for a complete lack of intelligence in their first half play. Vieira was also singled out for particular criticism by the French sports daily, with the Inter midfielder being labelled “a shadow of his former self."
Full-back Evra was quoted after the match as saying, “You would have thought that Nigeria were Brazil, but that was because of us."
Yoann Gourcuff offered a greater insight into where in particular French tactics had failed, stating how Nigeria easily played inbetween the rigid lines of the French team and punished the spaces in a disparate French backline.
The Bordeaux man praised Nigeria’s superior athleticism but also reflected on how the African’s better retention of the ball forced the French to drop deeper and deeper having initially set out to play high up the pitch.
Domenech perhaps summed the night up best when he said, “I’m glad that the matches at the moment aren’t worth three points." Come next season, he will no longer have such margin for error.
France play again on Friday night against Turkey in another friendly, this time in Lyon. Les bleus are not back in competitive action until August and currently stand second in Group Seven, two points behind leaders Serbia.
France: S. Mandanda – R. Fanni, S. Squillaci, J. Escudé, P. Evra – L. Rémy, P. Vieira (c), A. Diarra (J. Toulalan, 46), F. Ribéry (S. Govou, 70) – N. Anelka (Y. Gourcuff, 46), K. Benzema (A. Gignac, 46)
Nigeria: V. Enyeama – O. Adefemi, D. Adeleye, S. Sodje (O. Nwaneri, 60), U. Echiejile – I. Uche, S. Olofinjara, K. Uche (D. Etuhu, 72), P. Odemwingie (M. Eneramo, 89) – N. Kanu(c) (A. Yussuf, 47), J. Akpala (V. Nsofor, 74)
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