World Cup Qualifiers: France Secures Hard-Fought Victory Against Belgium

France, though never trailing, did not deliver a transcendent performance. Against a valiant Belgian side missing key players, the "new version" of the French team secured the essential: their fourth win in five matches in the first phase of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers, held this Friday in Antwerp (80-72).

The victory was built on physical dominance, evident in 16 offensive rebounds and 31 free throws drawn, which led to a controlled first half (43-30). However, France's shooting struggles, particularly their 4-of-21 three-point accuracy, contributed to a dip in performance as Belgium's key players, Manu Lecomte (17 points, 4 assists), Andy Van Vliet (14 points, 6 rebounds), and Aubin Gateretse (13 points), rallied.

This lull was overcome by strong individual performances from players like Nadir Hifi (8 points on 3/7 shooting, 6 assists), Bilal Coulibaly (13 points), Jaylen Hoard (10 points, 4 rebounds), Rudy Gobert (8 points, 11 rebounds), and the impressive Maxime Raynaud, who had a notable debut (10 points on 4/5 shooting, 4 rebounds in 16 minutes). In contrast, Guerschon Yabusele had a quiet game (0 points in 15 minutes, -1 efficiency rating).

+17 in the Second Quarter, But...

Despite early three-point struggles (1/7 in the first ten minutes), Frédéric Fauthoux's starting lineup (Strazel, Coulibaly, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Yabusele, Gobert) imposed their physical superiority on a Belgian team quickly feeling the pressure.

Strong contributions from Zaccharie Risacher and Elie Okobo towards the end of the first quarter (22-13), along with Maxime Raynaud's impactful entry, scoring his first national team points just 8 seconds after entering the court, prompted Belgium's coach Julien Mahé to call a timeout (30-13, 13th minute). This strategic pause led to an improved shooting performance from the Lions, notably from former player Andy Van Vliet (34-24, 16th minute).

A temporary dip in France's performance was managed by the return of starters, including TLC and the new captain Rudy Gobert, who made a crucial block at the buzzer to maintain a 13-point lead at halftime (43-30).

Backed Against the Wall, Belgium Gave Everything

This advantage was essential as Manu Lecomte's teammates, facing pressure, went on a 13-2 run fueled by desperation (45-43, 25th minute). Despite opportunities to tie or take the lead, Belgium ultimately allowed France to regain control, thanks to an effective Nadir Hifi in the final minutes of the third quarter (59-55).

France regained composure in the final stretch. Though somewhat late, they relied on new strengths like Maxime Raynaud's controlled floater and the active play of Bilal Coulibaly and Jaylen Hoard (68-58, 34th minute). The starting five ultimately closed out the game without further significant scares.

The "Bleus" will have an opportunity to take first place in the group from Finland this Monday (8:30 PM) in Pau, but more importantly, to display a more assertive playing style.

Having not secured a win in five matches, Belgium now bids farewell to the 2027 World Cup before their final game against Hungary.

Belgium - France Boxscore / Group G Standings