‘Maybe we were still celebrating the goal’ – Didier Deschamps laments Iceland’s equaliser against France | OneFootball

Jean-Philippe Mateta ran to the corner flag and unleashed a flying kick at it as he celebrated his first goal for the France national team. It was a goal that completed a comeback after Les Bleus had gone behind against Iceland in their FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Five minutes earlier, Christopher Nkunku had netted the equaliser, with a sweet, curled effort into the far corner. France’s second seemed inevitable, and it proved to be so. Maghnes Akliouche evaded the offside trap, played the ball across the face of the goal for Mateta to slide in.

But just two minutes later, Les Bleus were pegged straight back. Kristian Hlynsson found himself in acres of space and had no issue beating Mike Maignan. It was an inexplicable goal to concede, although Didier Deschamps did his best to explain it post-match.

“It happens, but it shouldn’t happen to us. Maybe we were still celebrating the goal. To be cut open so high because we were too high, because the ball carrier wasn’t targeted, isn’t possible. We were definitely too high, too,” said the France manager.

The result means that qualification for next summer’s World Cup will have to wait until the next international break. “It will be decisive,” said Deschamps.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle