QATAR 2022: FRANCE QUALIFYING CAMPAIGN REVIEWED
France are the defending champions after they won a second World Cup title at the last edition in Russia some three years ago by beating surprise package Croatia 4-2 in the final. The French team would be targeting anothertitle at the World Cup 2022 tournament in Qatar after winning the 1998 edition on home soil and the 2018 edition as mentioned above.
Deschamps and the current crop of French players will have to do better than their predecessors at World Cup 2022 tournament in Qatar. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament in Japan and South Korea, France crashed out of the group stage as defending champions.
France have already made a good start to their title defence at World Cup 2022 tournament in Qatar with the qualifiers as they have to earn the rights to be at the tournament even as defending champions.
The French team began their qualifiers on a disappointing note with the 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine but they were able to recover from that setback with two straight wins over Kazakhstan and Bosnia & Herzegovina away from home.
In the first game, Antoine Griezmann scored on 19 minutes to give hosts France a slender half-time lead but they were unable to hold on after SerhiySydorchukequalised twelve minutes into the second half to earn a point for Ukraine.
France defeated hosts Kazakhstan 2-0 in their second qualifier courtesy the goals from Barcelona attacker OusmaneDembele and SerhiyMalyi (own goal). In the third and final qualifier till date, Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann scored his second goal of the qualifying campaign by netting the only goal of the game on the hour mark to lead France to a 1-0 away win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.