Former accomplices in Leipzig, Ibrahima Konaté and Dayot Upamecano are now joining forces in the France team, where they have taken control of a poorly capped defense with authority, despite their young age, with Euro 2024 in sight. The two young rocks, expected as holders Monday in Dublin against Ireland, offered a cocktail of serenity, assurance and efficiency Friday against the Netherlands (4-0) at the start of qualifying, what to delight Didier Deschamps.
“We are at the Stade de France, in front of 80,000 people, but for them it does not have too much influence”, savored the coach on Friday, again dithyrambic on Sunday in Dublin: “They give off a lot of athletic strength in the duel, speed, with a good heading game, and they are not bothered with the ball… That’s a lot of qualities for defenders”.
Inexperience
Between them, “Ibou” (23 years old, 8 selections) and “Upa” (24 years old, 13 selections) have only accumulated around twenty selections, a relative inexperience at the international level yet hardly visible under the tricolor jersey. Their CV, however, already includes a World Cup, disputed in 2022 as a holder for Upamecano, and as an official understudy for Raphaël Varane (not fully recovered from an injury) for Konaté.
The two friends were even associated with the kick-off of the first match, against Australia, and the final whistle against Argentina in the final. The duo now appears to be the number one option in central defense, for both lasting reasons (international retirement of Varane) and circumstances (forfeit of Presnel Kimpembe and Lucas Hernandez).
“Like my brother”
With Mike Maignan, new goalkeeper of the blue temple at 27, the rear base of the France team has changed profoundly in a very short time. But she is used, in club, to cross swords with what is done best in Europe. “Certainly they are both young but you see where they play? In Liverpool and Bayern Munich”, recalled Deschamps after the match against the Netherlands. The coach can count on the complicity forged by the two fellows in the Leipzig jersey, between 2017 and 2021, with four seasons to refine their automatisms and a semi-final of the Champions League, in 2020, to reinforce their early learning.
“With Dayot we played together for a very long time, we have automatisms. It’s like my brother because I spent wonderful times with him. We are constantly in contact outside of football”, said Konaté in November from the Qatar. With Bayern Munich, “we played them several times and it was not easy”, also remembered Kingsley Coman, interviewed by the press in Doha.
Upset flights
In selection, Upamecano showed the tip of his nose in September 2020 and he was able to overcome a rather difficult start. “He was rather very successful in club, a little less with us but through the World Cup he took on another dimension, with more serenity, confidence” said Deschamps at the start of the March training camp. The international baptism of Konaté was delayed by physical glitches, even if it appeared inevitable.
“Last year, he chained a few injuries but he is so strong, he is fast,” slipped his partner in Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk, on Friday. Against the Dutch, the two defenders generally mastered the opposing lines well and brought danger offensively, with imposing ball passes or sharp passes between the lines. Upamecano conceded a penalty at the end of the game, without consequence since Maignan managed to deflect it.
“There are obviously a lot of qualities, but that requires confirmation each time,” Deschamps held back, calling on the two former hopefuls on Sunday to “maintain this level of performance over time”. Their main challenge on Monday will be to contain Evan Ferguson, an 18-year-old phenom playing for Brighton, the number one attraction for the “Boys in green” in attack.