They enjoy it, go around the Eiffel Tower stadium with their arms raised in front of their audience and carry in triumph the hero of this tournament, captain Frédéric Villeroux. It is almost 10 p.m., Saturday, September 7, when the French blind football team wins the final of the Paralympic tournament (1-1, 3-2 on penalties) against the reigning world champion team and vice-champion at the Tokyo Games three years ago, Argentina.
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This title allows the French delegation to get closer to the « vingtaine » gold medals that Marie-Amélie Le Fur, president of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee, had hoped for before the start of the competitions. It puts an end to Brazil’s supremacy in this discipline; since it made its debut at the Athens Games in 2004, the country had won all the titles.
Above all, it avoids a zero point for the team sports of the Tricolores. Finally, incidentally, this victory avenges Didier Deschamps’ Blues, beaten by Argentina in 2022 in the World Cup final. On his X account, footballer Antoine Griezmann, who announced each of the medals won by the French delegation during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, greeted this victory with a “Thanks for this INCREDIBLE pleasure guys”.
Toussaint Akpweh, the coach of the Blues, can finally savour this victory, he who throughout this week, had remained closed, rather ” concentrate “, he corrects. He had never given in to enthusiasm even after the semi-final victory against Colombia. “I am proud of my players, but there is still a step to climb”he said. At the end of the meeting, Saturday evening, he finally had a smile on his lips. “I said I would get it in the end. I’m happy for my players, for the team.”
All the Blues matches played to sold-out crowds
The French team was not the favorite of this tournament except perhaps in the minds of its players and even more in that of Toussaint Akpweh. It had a flawless run, except for its defeat against Brazil (0-3), beating China and Turkey in the group stages then Colombia in the semi-finals.
Against Argentina, it was once again Frédéric Villeroux, an exceptional player, probably the best in the world, who gave his team victory with the final penalty shootout. A little less than four minutes before the end of the first half, it was he who opened the scoring, with his left foot no less; “It’s quite rare”he acknowledged in the interview area. “I thought we were going to take the lead. But actually no, they showed us that in ten seconds you can score a goal.” The French team and the raging crowd did not have time to savour this goal; seven seconds later, the Albiceleste players equalised thanks to Maximiliano Espinillo.
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