Established at the forefront of the attack of the France team, Randal Kolo Muani made a good copy Friday night against the Netherlands (4-0).
For him too, it was a kind of first. Randal Kolo Muani had already had a tenure with the France team, but it was during the match of the “hairdressers”, in the World Cup, against Tunisia. This time, it is with the usual holders that the former Nantes player started, against the Netherlands (4-0), as a center forward.
Preferred to Olivier Giroud, the Eintracht Frankfurt player responded. The Bondy native was a constant danger thanks to his speed and mobility, and the only thing we can blame him for is not having taken care of his statistics with a goal or an assist. But this is a misleading observation, because Kolo Muani is involved in the first three goals of the Blues.
“RKM” is at the relay before Mbappé’s pass for Griezmann (2nd), and it is still him who obtains the free kick which will bring the goal of Upamecano (9th). Finally, his brilliant inspiration to let the ball pass allowed Mbappé not to be offside on the pass from Tchouaméni (21st). It’s not an assist as such, obviously, but it’s the decisive gesture of this goal action.
“Still a lot of room for improvement”
The road is still long for Kolo Muani, but the former Nantes player confirms that he has digested his change of status well since the World Cup, where he entered the landscape of the France team. Above all, it is its constant progress, after a late outbreak, that should be highlighted. Bondy’s other crack is the same age as Kylian Mbappé (they are both from December 1998), but it’s only the third season that Kolo Muani really plays in the first division.
“With Kylian, they are complementary, observes Clause Puel in his debrief for L’Equipe. Kolo Muani is able to win balls, to be altruistic, to weigh, to take space, we feel he is confident too. It still has a lot of room for improvement, it’s quite amazing to display so many possibilities. He can still be improved, he must be even fairer, calmer, but that’s normal, he has few selections. It was very interesting. »
Even if he is not quite a drop-off player like Giroud can be, or a “pivot” to use a term dear to Mbappé, Kolo Muani is an altruistic player capable of running for others. He has not yet secured his place as No. 9 holder with the Blues, but he has won the right to be reviewed, it is obvious. From Monday in Ireland?
