Ibrahima Konate was furious after France’s 1-0 loss to Tunisia, insisting that his team must perform better in the World Cup knockout stages.
Didier Deschamps made several changes to his starting lineup for France’s final group stage match against Tunisia, but the heavily rotated side couldn’t get the job done and lost 1-0. Despite the fact that France had already advanced to the round of 16, Liverpool’s Konate was dissatisfied with the outcome.
Ibrahima Konate’s statement
Speaking to beIN Sports after the loss, he said: “I hate losing. There won’t be any favours this weekend, it’ll be a match and that’s it. I can’t say there were too many changes – if we’re here today, we can’t go with that excuse.
“We weren’t at the level required, we were too wasteful. We need to concentrate on the next game, come together and forget this little error. Whether that’s against Mexico, Argentina, or whoever, it’s going to be a difficult match.”
Konate1 played the entire 90-minute game in his second start of the tournament. He was dropped after matchday one and may have to fight his way back into the starting lineup for the last-16 tie against Poland if Raphael Varane and Dayot Upamecano are both fit and available.
Les Bleus will now face Poland in the last 16 on December 4. While the chances of another upset are extremely slim, the loss to Tunisia serves as a stark warning.
