Hervé Renard (coach of the France team): “Brazil is a huge football country. It is a confrontation, at the masculine level, which has a particular resonance. And this is also the case at the women’s level, with a team that is progressing enormously and manages to obtain very good results with a coach who has considerable experience and knows how to make her teams win. It’s just a second group match but it’s an important match for first place and for qualification. This will define the order of this group.”
Sakina Karchaoui (defender of the France team): “France-Brazil, it’s an important match to play. It reminds me of my first competition, the Olympics in Brazil, so it’s always special to play against them. It’s going to be a good match, we’re ready for it.”
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Hervé Renard: “A coach should never be worried. He must have confidence in his team. It sometimes happens to start a competition very slowly (0-0 against Jamaica, editor’s note). But tomorrow’s match is a match that has completely different characteristics (…) There is no stress to have. A World Cup, it is lived intensely. These are unforgettable moments, which can be fantastic, so you have to free yourself. It is necessary that the experienced players drag the others in their wake. Tomorrow’s game is the perfect opportunity. It is a high level test. It’s up to us to be ourselves.”
Sakina Karchaoui: “We know we have the qualities to put our game in place, quite simply. When we play on our qualities, we can only not worry. You have to let go, be natural and play this match to the full.”
Hervé Renard: “If we could have the same path as the French men’s team in Qatar, that would be good. The competitions are never the same, they are never alike. But let’s take their example. They were able to find other abilities despite some notable absences. Let’s take an example and don’t feel sorry for the players who aren’t there.”
Sakina Karchaoui: “Yes, there are statistics. But today the vice is tightening, the levels are tightening so we know very well that we are going to face a combative team on the ground. We will have to expect everything, but we must not forget the qualities we also have. We are very confident for tomorrow, we must not panic either.
Sakina Karchaoui: “(Brazilian Marta) brought so much to women’s football. When I was 4, she was maybe the only footballer I knew. 5 years ago, I played my first match against her. It really is an example. I give her all my respect for the career she has had. And she is still there. I think it’s still there for a few years. She marked the history of football.