Rio de Janeiro: The story of France since they won the World Cup on home soil in 1998 is a catalogue of catastrophes. Even the achievement of reaching the final in 2006 was besmirched by infighting and poor management. The less said the better about Les Bleus’ diabolical campaigns in 2002 and 2010.
If France are now an oasis of calm after a million mutinies, the credit must go to manager Didier Deschamps, captain of the triumphant team 16 years ago. The former Juventus player has achieved the seemingly impossible task of bringing order in the French camp.
As France get ready to take on Ecuador in their final league match in Group E at the Maracana here on Wednesday, everything looks serene for Deschamps’ team. There is no bad apple in the squad to cause bickering and every member of the team is pulling his weight on the field. Forward Karim Benzema hasn’t played better in national colours in a long time.
Les Bleus would be keen to maintain the momentum and seal a place in the last 16 in style. The match will not be short on goals as Ecuador are in a must-win situation. Latin American countries are on fire here and Ecuador would not like to be left out of the pack in the next round.
Read: Five Star France
Antonio Valencia of Manchester United is the most prominent player in the Ecuadorean ranks but his namesake Enner grabbed the headlines against Honduras with a brace. According to reports, Enner milked cows and sold the milk in his village to buy football shoes in his younger days.
Ecuador, one of the more impoverished countries in South America, need the boost of success on the football field to galvanise their people. Conceding a last-gasp winner against Switzerland in the first round has made their job tougher. At the outset, beating France is an improbable task not impossible. Honduras can do a favour to a fellow nation by defeating Switzerland.
