Announced among the favorite teams before the start of this Basketball World Cup, France comes out with their heads down. The Blues narrowly lost to Latvia (88-86) this Sunday, August 27. The French can no longer hope to qualify for the next round.
The Blues, crushed at the opening by the Canadians (95-65), can no longer join in one of the first two places in Group H Canada or Latvia (two victories each). However, they led by 12 points at the start of the last quarter (74-62) but saw the Latvians go ahead for the first time in the match 37 seconds from the end (87-86) before Sylvain Francisco missed. , three-point, siren victory shot.
The leader was on the field because France, which is on the three current international podiums (3rd in the 2019 World Cup, finalist in the 2021 Olympics and Euro 2022), was deprived of the holder of the post Nando de Colo. The Asvel player, one of the Blues executives at the World Cup with almost all their vital forces, joined the locker room five minutes from the end after a second technical foul, synonymous with disqualification.
He had to leave his partners for a gesture of humor when he benefited from a foul. “Hot, it’s a big disappointment. We broke down mentally, we broke down physically, we weren’t together, “said Nicolas Batum at the microphone of BeIN at the end of the meeting, visibly very moved for his last World Cup.
Vincent Collet’s men also lost far too many balls (20!) against a private selection of his star Kristaps Porzingis and who was playing in the first World Cup in its history. Under the cheers of her large colony of supporters, she qualified for a second round that the Blues will not see.
“Our team is beautiful and being beautiful is good, but going on the field and getting your hands dirty is better,” said pivot Rudy Gobert, disappointing at this World Cup.
