Almost five and a half years later, the France team will again face an African selection.
This Friday evening (9:15 p.m.), at the Stade Vélodrome, Didier Deschamps' men will face the Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire.
On this occasion,
Le Figaro
makes you (re)discover some major matches of the Blues against the nations of the African continent, between joy, disillusion or even fiasco.
Read alsoFrance-Côte d'Ivoire: the Blues launch their big year
June 12, 1998: France beats South Africa in
"its" World Cup
On June 12, 1998, in a boiling Stade Vélodrome, the French team of Aimé Jacquet entered "his" World Cup.
The Blues, led by their executives Laurent Blanc, Didier Deschamps and Zinédine Zidane, to name but a few, made short work of the "Bafana Bafana", winning by a score of 3 goals to 0. is the highly criticized Christophe Dugarry who opened the scoring shortly after the hour mark (35th) - we remember his celebration with the tongue that has become iconic - before Pierre Issa, then an Olympique de Marseille player, scored against -his-camp in the 77th minute and that the young Thierry Henry does not conclude the French victory in additional time (90th + 2).
A great success which then allowed the tricolor selection to perfectly launch its 1998 World Cup... The rest, you know it.
SEE ALSO -
The training of the Blues before facing Côte d'Ivoire
October 6, 2001: the meeting against Algeria degenerates
It was supposed to be a party, it became a “fiasco”.
On October 6, 2001, the Blues, world champions and European champions, welcome Algeria to the Stade de France for a friendly match.
In the stands, where Fennecs supporters are very numerous, the atmosphere is as warm as it is heavy and electric.
On the lawn, logic is respected.
The selection led by Roger Lemerre quickly made the difference.
Vincent Candela opened the scoring (20th) then Emmanuel Petit (32nd) and Thierry Henry (42nd) drove the point home before the break.
Algeria, for its part, reduced the score just before returning to the locker room through Djamel Belmadi (45th + 1).
The French team worsens the mark in the second half thanks to Robert Pires (55th).
Read alsoAn Algeria-France match, why it gets stuck
But the meeting degenerates.
In the 76th minute of play, Algerian fans burst onto the pitch.
The security forces, overwhelmed by the number of supporters invading the lawn, cannot contain them all.
The actors return to the locker rooms or at least the corridors of the Stade de France.
The match is interrupted...and will not resume.
The party is completely ruined.
"
I don't want to talk about the incidents.
It was a party on the pitch.
I had a lot of fun, it feels good to win an away game
, ”says Thierry Henry, in a joking tone.
A sad evening that will have left marks.
More than twenty years later, the question of organizing a new opposition between France and Algeria in France is still a source of concern.
Read alsoTeam of France: Mbappé uncertain to face Ivory Coast, Kanté package
May 31, 2002: the surprise defeat against Senegal
For its entry into the 2002 World Cup, the French team, defending champion, is opposed on May 31 to a team which, on paper, seems to be within its reach: Senegal.
However, she must compose without her master to play, Zinédine Zidane, injured during the preparation.
To everyone's surprise, the Blues, perhaps insufficient, concede the opener at the half-hour mark. Served by El-Hadji Diouf, Papa Bouba Diop indeed manages to deceive the vigilance of Fabien Barthez.
Marcel Desailly - captain - and his teammates try to react.
In vain.
The Teranga Lions offer themselves the winners of the last World Cup and will finally reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
The team led by Roger Lemerre, it will not pass the group stage, good last in its group,
with two losses and a draw.
A bitter failure that marks the end of a fabulous era.
Read alsoFrance-Côte d'Ivoire: the Blues with a Griezmann, Giroud and Nkunku attack?
June 29, 2003: victory in the final of the Confederations Cup
Make way for a slightly happier event for the Blues.
On June 29, 2003, in the final of the Confederations Cup, the France team found Cameroon, in the enclosure which had seen them crowned in 1998, the Stade de France.
Jacques Santini's men must "redeem" themselves and show that they are still among the best nations in the world after the disappointment of the 2002 World Cup. Against the Indomitable Lions, the French, who nevertheless have incredible attackers in their ranks with between others Thierry Henry and David Trézéguet, are struggling to find the fault.
Worse, they concede a lot of situations.
At the end of regulation time, and additional time, the two teams have still not managed to decide.
Extension.
In the first half of this extra period of play, “Titi” Henry,
clumsy since the start of the match, made the difference on a superb cross from the right side of Lilian Thuram.
A golden goal that offers the trophy to the Blues.
Read alsoSerge Aurier before France-Côte d'Ivoire: "Fighting the Blues is our World Cup"
August 17, 2005: the return of "Zizou" and executives
How to forget this meeting?
After retiring from international duty in the summer of 2004 like other executives of the France team, Zinédine Zidane made his grand return to Les Bleus in August 2005 to help the France team led by Raymond Domenech qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The Real Madrid playmaker is not returning alone: he is accompanied by his teammate at the Merengue Claude Makélélé and by Lilian Thuram.
It's a great relief for tricolor fans who can once again believe in a world title.
On August 17, 2005, for their return, "Zizou" and his lieutenants held the Stade de la Mosson, against Côte d'Ivoire led by Didier Drogba.
France defeated the Elephants quite easily by winning by three goals (3-0)...
with the added bonus of a realization of "ZZ", acclaimed by the Montpellier public throughout the meeting.
A match that went down in the history of the France team.
This Friday evening, all things considered, it is Olivier Giroud, sidelined for many months by Didier Deschamps, who could once again wear the colors of the Blues.
Will he also sign his return with a goal?
Reply at the end of the evening.