Qualification for the 2027 World Cup
Mission accomplished for the Blues. With another unprecedented squad for this first qualifier for the next World Cup in Qatar 2027, the French found the key throughout the match to see off their Belgian neighbours, relying on the trio of Sene-Bouteille-Gaudouk to make the difference.
The start was disastrous (shooting 0/7) and the first half was mostly sluggish (29-31), but Freddy Fotu’s team gradually took the lead after returning from the locker room, with more intensity and efficiency on both sides of the court. First it was 12-3 that changed the situation, and then Nicholas Lang’s three-pointer to give the Blues some breathing room (47-39).
The second reinforcement was right at the beginning of the fourth quarter, especially led by Louis LaBerry, but also thanks to three-pointers by Benjamin Sene and Andrew Albisi (59-49). In their momentum, France ended the match with two new arrows signed by Axel Bouteil (68-54). Lionel Gaudouk crowned this first success in Group G with an authoritarian free-kick dunk and set Kindarena from Rouen on fire for the last time.
79-63 winners, the Blues will continue in Finland this Monday, the Finns lost in Hungary 89-82 earlier in the evening.
2025-11-28 21:54:00
