HIBAPRESS-RABAT-FIFA
The center of the French team talks about his first experience in the Futsal World Cup, which he saw with stars in his eyes.
The France team will play in the round of 16 of the 2024 Futsal World Cup against Thailand
Abdessamad Mohammed, 109 caps under his belt, lives this experience “like a child”
FIFA exclusively interviewed the French pivot
“The baker in my town sent me a message! »
Either Abdessamad Mohammed maintains a very good relationship with the person who sells him his traditional baguette on a daily basis, or futsal fever has affected France since the start of the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup™.
What is certain is that lovers of the discipline in France do not miss a single thing of the competition, despite the approximately 6,000 km which separate Laval – the club where the Blues pivot plays – from Bukhara in Uzbekistan, where the Tricolores have so far played all their matches and where they will also meet Thailand in the round of 16, on Friday September 27.
For their very first participation in the Futsal World Cup, Raphaël Reynaud’s men have indeed fulfilled their first mission – to pass the group stage – thanks to two victories in three matches. Mohammed, the top scorer in the history of the Blues (81 goals in 109 caps), clearly played his part by scoring a goal and providing four assists to his teammates. However, he believes he has not yet really launched his competition and will have the opportunity to “catch up” on Friday in the knockout phase.
Before that, in an exclusive interview with FIFA, the 33-year-old player recounts how he experienced his first steps in the World Cup, a tournament that he experiences “like a child”, evokes the Morocco of his friend Soufiane El Mesrar , also qualified for the round of 16, and reveals the team and player that have impressed him the most in Uzbekistan so far.
FIFA: Abdessamad, what is your assessment of the group stage?
Abdessamad Mohammed: The results are very positive. I am very satisfied with what we produced in this first participation in the World Cup. Finishing second in this group behind Iran, we would have signed straight away. I think we are in our place and it is logical that we qualify given our place in the FIFA Ranking. But a first World Cup is always tricky. I was able to see in the first match against Guatemala that we had not yet taken the full measure of the event and that it is only the experience of these matches which allows us to put in.
And from an individual point of view?
Personally, I would have liked to help the team a little more, but let’s say that I’m saving myself for the future. I am sure that the opponents studied me well because, without pretension, I am one of the strengths of the team. I know that the adversaries are tracking me. I have a little less space, a little less time to decide. I questioned myself quite a bit and if I remain efficient with goals and assists, I am not yet satisfied with my World Cup. Now, if I have to make others shine, I will do it without problem. And as long as the team wins, we move forward.
Both Mamadou Touré of the French team, with whom FIFA spoke before the tournament, said that French players are often underrated. Do you feel like you can change that?
Throughout my career with the French team, I had the feeling that we were a “small team”, but in recent years, I have not so much agreed with that. Maybe it’s their feelings as young players, but me, with experience, I see very clearly that people’s outlook is changing. Mamadou Touré is at Barça for example. Souheil (Mouhoudine) signed with the Spanish champion (Jimbee Cartagena) who gave him a warm welcome. I would say that today, we are more feared than underestimated. Seeing us play, you might think that we have a lot of flaws but I think that our ability to come back each time in matches when we are behind, the intrinsic quality of our players, the state of mind that emerges of this team means that we attract more fear than contempt.
How are you experiencing your first World Cup as the “big brother” of the France team?
If you don’t remind me that I’m the big brother, I experience it like a child. We’re at the World Cup, everyone knows what they have to do, so you have less of a “big brother” role, but more of a “companion.” I’m really enjoying every moment. When we went to see Brazil – Thailand (in the group stage), I was happy to see the match as a spectator because the spectacle on offer was magnificent.
And off the field, how are things going? Did your family come to see you? Do you receive messages?
Yes, my wife came (to Uzbekistan), my nephew and his wife too. I had a little moral support from the family, it was great. It gave me a good dose of energy for the future.
I get a lot of messages from people I went to school with when I was younger or people I met once here and there. The fact that the tournament is publicized reminds them of common memories and they send me messages. It was the same at the EURO (2018, the only other major competition contested by France). The baker in my town sent me a message! My daughter’s teacher too. There are lots of little messages like that which are very pleasant.
Do you also exchange messages with your partner at Étoile Lavalloise Soufiane El Mesrar, whose Morocco team is also qualified for the eighth?
They were in Tashkent and we were in Bukhara, so we wrote each other a lot of messages, we called each other. Coincidentally, they are now with us at the hotel for the eighth grade so the reunion was warm! We really hope that they will go as far as possible. And why not meet again later in the competition? My heart goes out to them and I hope they can win against Iran and the same for us. I’m very happy because (Soufiane El Mesrar) is more than a friend, I spend a lot of time with him during the year and seeing each other in this context is a beautiful thing.
In addition, you have a strong link with Morocco.
Yes, both my parents are Moroccan, my wife is Moroccan, I spend all the holidays in Morocco. It’s family (he smiles).
Back to sports: what should people expect who will watch France – Thailand on Friday?
It’s a team I’ve never played against so it’s going to be a big first. It’s a team that I followed during the Asian Cup, which has a lot of quality, very good players. I can’t wait until we can show that we can beat a team like Thailand. I think it’s going to be a real clash of styles because it’s a team that has a profile that’s really opposed to France. A team which is very tactical, which has a big Spanish influence through their coach (Miguel Rodrigo), whether on set pieces, four-man play, pivot play. It’s going to be 50-50 and we take this match very seriously.
And what is the style of the French team?
We have a very direct, forward game, which is made up of a lot of transitions. That’s not really what I saw in Thailand. It’s a team which, on the contrary, rather avoids transitions and controls the game a lot. We like it when things go in all directions and that’s when we are strongest. So I think, really, it will be madness versus reason.
Which team has impressed you the most so far in this World Cup?
I think everyone saw a bit of the same thing: Brazil, for the moment, is the very, very, very big favorite. We saw the match against Thailand in the gym, it was even more impressive. They really rolled out and marched on their opponent. It’s a steamroller.
There is Paraguay too, especially the first two matches, which still overcame its two opponents. Argentina, Ukraine, these kinds of teams, also start to perform very well from the eighth onwards.
And the player who stood out?
I would say Marcel. He is a player who is not highlighted much, who is underrated and who has not been called up regularly for Brazil. But whether it is with his club (Inter FS) or at the start of the World Cup, I find him really very impressive. And he reaps what he sows: he is a top scorer and a better passer. I’m really happy that a player like that can be highlighted, he’s a player that I’ve appreciated for many years.
