PARIS: France striker Kylian Mbappe scored one goal and set up another as the hosts came from behind to claim a fortunate 2-1 win against Iceland on Tuesday, maintaining their perfect start in World Cup qualifying Group D.
The result left Didier Deschamps’s side top of the standings with six points from two games, three clear of Iceland. Ukraine and Azerbaijan have one point each after drawing 1-1 earlier on Tuesday.
Iceland’s Andri Lucas Gudjohnsen thought he had grabbed a dramatic equalizer two minutes from time when he bundled the ball over the line, but VAR canceled out the goal after replays showed he had pulled Ibrahima Konate’s shirt.
Gudjohnsen had earlier punished a Michael Olize mistake to put Iceland ahead only for Mbappe to equalize with a penalty to level the score at the break, before laying on Bradley Barcola’s winner just past the hour mark.
France played the last 20 minutes with 10 men after Aurelien Tchouameni was sent off for a reckless challenge, but they held firm to extend a 32-year run in which only Spain have beaten them at home in a World Cup qualifier.
“It was tough during the whole game. We managed to score and that’s the main takeaway tonight,” said Barcola.
“After the break we sought to play faster to unsettle them. We’ve played our two main rivals in the group, it was important to win.”
Deschamps said captain Mbappe was “in a good headspace.”
“He puts in a lot of effort, offers solutions and is effective,” Deschamps said. “He’s a very good leader for the whole group.”
Missing Paris St. Germain forward Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue through injury, France fell behind in the 17th minute when Olize’s back pass was intercepted by Gudjohnsen, who poked the ball past Mike Maignan.
The hosts responded as Marcus Thuram and Manu Kone forced a superb double save from Elias Rafn Olafsson and Barcola volleyed narrowly over, before Thuram was tripped in the area and Mbappe buried the resulting penalty on the stroke of halftime.
After the break, Olize rattled the crossbar before Mbappe led a swift counterattack and squared for Barcola to tap home in the 62nd minute.
Mbappe almost added a third but was denied by Olafsson, and although Gudjohnsen thought he had struck again at the death, the VAR review ensured France emerged with maximum points.
France next face Azerbaijan at home on Oct 10 and Iceland away three days later.
Mbappe on the spot as France beat Iceland 2-1 in World Cup qualifier
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Mbappe on the spot as France beat Iceland 2-1 in World Cup qualifier
- France next face Azerbaijan at home on Oct 10 and Iceland away three days later
Nabucco Al-Maury has second crack at glory on Saudi Cup weekend
- French challenger aiming to go one better in the $1.5m Group 1 Al-Mneefah Cup
RIYADH: French raider Nabucco Al-Maury (FR) returns to Riyadh on Feb. 13 hoping to go one better than last year when finishing runner-up to RB Kingmaker (US) in the $1.5-million group one Al-Mneefah Cup, presented by the Ministry of Culture.
Trained in 2025 by Hamad Al-Jehani, the 6-year-old son of Assy (QA) joined the yard of Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte in Mont-de-Marsan last spring where he has continued to thrive.
Although he has not managed to reach the top step of the podium in the last couple of seasons, he has remained consistent. His last run in the group one The President Cup in December in Abu Dhabi, behind local champion HM Alchahine (FR), was particularly eye-catching.
“That was a really good performance,” said the French handler, who will also saddle the mare Lacaro du Croate (FR) in the 2,100-meter turf race.
“I didn’t train Nabucco Al-Maury when he came to Riyadh last year. He arrived in my yard in the spring, and we have progressively worked our way to the top.
“He has improved with each of his runs. His second place behind HM Alchahine was very good. We beat RB Kingmaker quite easily, which we hadn’t done before, so that was a great result.”
The Helal & Tahnon Alalawi-trained RB Kingmaker (US) will again feature amongst his opponents in the Al-Mneefah Cup. “I know that he is in it,” said the trainer.
“We beat him quite easily in Abu Dhabi, but he probably needed that race and we know he runs well in Riyadh.
“Maybe he will transform himself there. And I know that there is the very good mare of Alban de Mieulle, RB Mary Lylah (US), in the field, so we shall see.”
The only French-based trainer with runners in the two events for Purebred Arabians this year, he is also looking forward to saddling the 5-year-old mare Lacaro du Croate in the Al-Mneefah.
A winner of the group one Criterium des Pouliches – Wathba Stallions at La Teste in France last July, she has just made her seasonal reappearance in a conditions race at Pau where she finished second to dual Triple Crown champion Al-Ghadeer (FR).
“It was a good performance,” added the trainer. “She only saw Al-Ghadeer’s behind but that was to be expected. He did his job, she did hers. In fact, she did what we asked her to do.”
With exceptionally heavy rainfalls continuing across the southwest of France, their trainer decided last week to take both contenders to the Pau racecourse for a final blow-out.
“It’s just terrible how much rain we have had. Last weekend I was supposed to go away but then decided, no, I’m taking my horsebox and I’m going to drive to Pau to work them properly.
“Luckily, the jockeys were great and went along with my plan. They enjoyed a good gallop and are in good order.”
While Nabucco Al-Maury and Lacaro du Croate had to brave the difficult weather in France, Moshrif (FR), who is Thomas-Demeaulte’s runner in the $2 million group one Obaiya Arabian Classic, presented by Al-Hammadi Hospitals, has enjoyed the ambient temperatures in Riyadh.
“He has been in Riyadh for a while,” said the trainer. “We took him there for the prep race on Jan. 9, where he finished fifth. I hadn’t worked him a lot since he won his race in Morocco last year, so he wasn’t 100 percent fit yet, but it was still a good performance.”
The 8-year-old is a regular in Riyadh where he was the runner-up to the great Tilal Al-Khalediah in the 2024 running of the Al-Mneefah Cup, but this time he will tackle top-class opposition on dirt.
“He proved when ran in January that he can handle the dirt. He has been in Riyadh since that last run and I went out there 10 days ago to see how he was. He is in good form and I was very happy with him,” added Thomas-Demeaulte.
