France coach Didier Deschamps was delighted with N’Golo Kante’s performance on his first international start in Tuesday’s 4-2 friendly win against Russia.
The all-action Leicester City player, who has been one of the stars of the season in the English Premier League, needed just eight minutes to score on his first start for his country and is looking a certainty to make the France squad for Euro 2016.
“He is a little chap, who is always smiling. The squad have done everything to help him settle in and he has shown no complexes out on the field,” Deschamps said. “It is not easy on your first start, but he did some very good things... He has carried on at international level what he has been doing with his club.”
Photo: AP
West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet also scored after coming off the bench to net a free-kick in the second half on his 29th birthday.
“It is a beautiful birthday present,” Payet said.
The impact of Kante and Payet underlined the options available to Deschamps as he ponders his squad for Euro 2016 on home soil in June and July.
Andre-Pierre Gignac, now playing his club soccer in Mexico, also scored as he showed that he is a credible contender should Karim Benzema’s off-field issues prevent him from making the final squad.
Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman came off the bench to score France’s final goal of the night.
“We have a team who like to get forward and who link up well. There have been lots of positives,” Deschamps said.
France have won seven times in eight friendly matches this season and are looking like genuine contenders to win the Euros, which they open when they face Romania at the Stade de France on June 10.
Russia, who are to face England, Wales and Slovakia in Group B when they return to France for the finals, were disappointing for much of Tuesday’s game, despite coach Leonid Slutsky sending out a strong team.
However, Slutsky was happy with their second-half display, when they got both of their goals courtesy of Alexander Kokorin and Yuri Zhirkov.
“It was a game of two halves... After the break, I was satisfied with the performance and the quality of our game,” Slutsky said. “I am still moderately optimistic for the future. France are one of the favorites to win the Euros.”
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