Tactically, we need to set the scene first. Ivory Coast lost 1-0 to Cameroon on Saturday, in a friendly at the Alassane Ouattara stadium in Abidjan. Bil Nsongo, the Deportivo La Coruña striker, scored in the 47th minute. It is the Elephants’ first defeat since Hervé Renard arrived this summer, after two 2-0 wins in AFCON 2027 qualifying, against Ghana and Somalia.
Hervé Renard and David Pagou rotated. A big squad review, the usual substitutes on the pitch, goal included. That one I know. I do a squad review on Sundays too. Except at my place it’s called “who turned up”.
Alban Lafont got his chance, then. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, he came out of his area to catch a long Cameroon clearance in his hands. Very well-placed free kick for Cameroon. It came to nothing, and the referee blew for full time straight after.
I opened my folder. I drew the box in biro. And I’ll say it as I see it: that situation, I run it on Tuesday. When we’ve got eleven, that is. My keeper, on pitch 2, has an excuse: the line of the box, you can only guess at it. It goes with the slope, and the slope is known across the whole province. In Abidjan, I assume it’s drawn straight. That complicates the analysis.
There’s still something to take from it. The mistake comes in the last minute, the free kick leads nowhere, the match ends. Everyone goes home. At our place, a mistake like that means Monday’s debrief, the coffee going cold and the club delegate noting everything in his folder.
A free kick in the last second that comes to nothing, that’s historic. I’m weighing my words.
Alban Lafont is 27. He plays this season for Amedspor, who he joined this summer from FC Nantes. Amedspor lead the Turkish league after six matches. The level is going up everywhere, people don’t realise. A flat pitch away, mind you.
It’s true, we checked: RMC Sport.
