On August 5, in the semi-final of the Olympic men’s football tournament, France’s Olympic team will face Egypt’s Olympic team. Ahead of the match, France’s Olympic team coach Thierry Henry spoke about the upcoming game.
In the semi-final between France and Egypt, France’s Enzo Millo and Koné will be unable to play due to suspension, which weakens the team, leaving them with only a squad of 16 players. When asked about this, Henry said, “We will find solutions, but we have not yet determined who will play. We will arrange our lineup based on our opponents’ style and characteristics. We cannot underestimate Egypt; they defeated Spain in the group stage. This won’t be an easy match, and we will consider how to make targeted arrangements.”
Henry spoke about his determination to win gold for France: “The atmosphere within our team is great. We didn’t come to the Olympics just to participate, but to strive for good results. Over the past four years, we’ve put in a tremendous amount of effort for the Olympics. France has been waiting for us to achieve success, which motivates us.”
Henry continued speaking about the upcoming semi-final: “I don’t know where we stand. I never take winning for granted, nor do I think we are inferior to any opponent. Egypt can be considered Africa’s Brazil. They are accustomed to winning, and I have great respect for them. They have many talented players and excel at defense and ball control.”
“They are adept at facing any opponent. Although they don’t score many goals, they are not easy to deal with. We might win gold, silver, or bronze, or we might win nothing. We want to win the gold medal, but that doesn’t mean we will definitely succeed. However, we will do everything in our power to achieve that goal.”