Zidane Wins First Match as France Manager in Historic Debut
Zinedine Zidane began his tenure as the France national team manager with a historic 1-0 victory over Türkiye in the UEFA Nations League. This win marks the first time since Aimé Jacquet in 1994 that a coach has won his opening match in charge of the national team.
The match took place at Kocaeli Stadium, where France captain Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal in the 54th minute, assisted by Michael Olise. Despite facing pressure from Türkiye, France held onto their lead until the final whistle.
However, the victory was marred by an injury to Mbappé, who was replaced by Désiré Doué in the 59th minute due to a knee problem. Zidane confirmed that Mbappé would leave the squad and is expected to miss the next three Nations League matches.
The last coach to win his first match before Zidane was Aimé Jacquet, who achieved this feat on February 16, 1994.
Plus234Feed summary based on reporting from Blueprint. Read the original report below.
Read full article
Continue on Blueprint
Get the week in one email
Top stories, NPFL results, the naira — every Friday morning. Free, one email a week.
Related Stories
Mbappe Scores as Zidane Debuts with France's 1-0 Win
Zidane and van Bommel secure wins in Nations League debuts
Zidane Takes Charge of France Ahead of Nations League Opener
Mbappe Calls Zidane's Coaching Role a 'Film' Moment
Zidane Names Mbappe as France Captain for New Era
Zidane Names Dembele Captain for France's Nations League Clash
Get Plus234Feed on messaging apps
Same headlines, delivered where you already scroll.
