Kylian Mbappe dazzled for France against Bafana. Photo: Twitter
PLAYER RATINGS: Masterful Mbappe bamboozles Bafana Bafana!
Kylian Mbappe delivered a display of pure class as he taught the Bafana Bafana youngsters a harsh lesson in Tuesday’s 5-0 thrashing.
Kylian Mbappe dazzled for France against Bafana. Photo: Twitter
Mbappe netted twice, while Olivier Giroud, Wissam Ben Yedder and Matteo Guendouzi all scored on the night as France cruised to a predictably one-sided result on Tuesday night against an outclassed Bafana Bafana side.
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Below we hand out some player ratings following the ‘friendly’ clash at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.
Mbappe the magician (9)
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar showed he was in the mood early on when he scored the opening goal with a stunning curling effort that was perfectly weighted from the edge of the box.
It was just a sign of what was to come as the 23-year-old ran rings around the Bafana defenders, dominating proceedings as he delivered a display that understandably led many to suggest this was almost like a training exercise for the classy forward, who is known known for his dribbling, speed, and finishing.
Mbappé turned Siyanda Xulu inside-out later in the game as he won a penalty and successfully converted it himself, while he was also heavily involved in the fourth goal finished off by Ben Yedder, while he could have scored many more on the night.
This was a game where it was painfully apparent just how significant the gulf of class is between the sides, and Mbappe was at the front and centre of that dominance for France.
Gutsy shot-stopper Ronwen Williams (6)
There was hardly anyone busier than Williams on the night, with the keeper making as many as 11 saves in the game as shot after shot rained down on the Bafana goal.
To his credit, though, the 30-year-old demonstrated all his experience and never looked daunted by the prospect of facing some of the best strikers in the game.
For one, Giroud forced an acrobatic save out of Williams with a spectacular side-volley at the near post early on, while a bit later he parried a powerful shot from Mbappe onto the crossbar before keeping out Lucas Digne’s volley soon after.
As Bafana go searching for positives, there is no doubt that Williams can at least hold his head up high.
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A night to forget for Nyiko Mobbie (3)
It seems harsh to pick out one player after Bafana were outclassed as a collective, but it was a particularly painful day at the office for Mobbie.
He spent much of the night chasing the shadow of Mbappe, with the right-back just unable to keep pace with the PSG superstar, who was able to create so much time and space on the ball.
In fairness, many players would have struggled to make any impression against Mbappe, but Mobbie’s man-marking left a lot to be desired on a forgettable night for Bafana’s defenders.
FRANCE VS BAFANA BAFANA: STARTING LINEUPS!
France XI: Maignan, Saliba, Varane, Kimpembe, Clauss, Rabiot, Kante, Digne, Griezmann, Giroud, Mbappe.
Bafana Bafana XI: Williams; Mobbie, Xulu, Sibisi, Lakay; Monare, Mokoena, Mvala; Hlongwane, Foster, Lakay.
