Tournoi Maurice Revello: France see off Panama in style to book semi-final spot

Coming into the final group-stage fixture with everything to play for, France needed a win to secure qualification from Group A—and they wasted no time stamping their authority on the game at the Stade de Lattre.

Mbaye and Ngoura lead the charge

Les Bleuets set the tone from the first whistle, dominating possession and piling early pressure on the Central American outfit. Their breakthrough came in the 16th minute when PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye made a brilliant run down the right and picked out Louis Leroux, whose precise through ball split the defence. Steve Ngoura (Cercle Bruges) made no mistake in front of goal, slotting past Cecilio Burgess to make it 1-0.

France nearly doubled their lead minutes later. Elyaz Zidane whipped in a left-footed cross that found Ngoura again, but his header drifted just wide. Another dazzling move from Mbaye led to a dangerous chance for Ngoura and Tabibou Assoumani, though miscommunication allowed the keeper to smother the danger.

Against the run of play, Panama equalised in the 34th minute. A chaotic corner sequence saw the ball fall kindly for Gustavo Herrera, who calmly slotted home his second goal of the tournament, levelling the score at 1-1.

France responded immediately. Lucas Michal made the most of a teasing cross from Ayman Nagera, restoring Les Bleuets’ advantage just two minutes later with a composed finish.

Control and composure seal qualification

The second half saw a dip in tempo, with both sides struggling to find rhythm or create meaningful chances. But when they did, France showed more quality. Midway through the half, Saïmon Bouabré and Mayssam Benama combined with a slick one-two, leading to a curled effort from the latter that was well saved by Burgess.

Tidiam Gomis also tested the Panama goalkeeper from range as Diomède’s side calmly managed proceedings and limited the opposition’s chances. In the end, their first-half intensity and second-half discipline proved enough.

What's next?

The 2-1 win sees France top Group A and progress to the semi-finals, where they will face the runner-up from Group B. Diomède will be encouraged by his side’s attacking fluidity, especially the standout displays from Mbaye, Ngoura, and Leroux.

Panama, meanwhile, bow out of the tournament, finishing bottom of the group.