"On paper, we are superior", recognizes Vincent Collet, coach of the France team who is preparing to receive Thursday (7:00 p.m.) in Dijon Portugal, then move to Matosinhos in the suburbs of Porto, Sunday (6:00 p.m.) .

Les Bleus will start as big favorites in this double confrontation against modest Portugal, 58th nation in the Fiba rankings and who were beaten twice in the first qualifying window, against Hungary (81-75) and in Montenegro (83-69) .

Olympic vice-champions last summer in Tokyo and third in the last World Cup in 2019, the French are forced to a real marathon to be able to participate in the World Cup-2023, with two group stages and six international windows.

The results are kept from one phase to another, the slightest slip-up can thus be paid for.

Especially since, for the second qualifying phase reserved for the first three, the Blues will be able to meet more renowned selections, in particular Lithuania.

Facing Portugal, Vincent Collet hopes to see his Blues, applied against Montenegro (73-67) and Hungary (78-54), show the same face displayed during previous windows.

Spent six seasons by the JDA, Axel Julien will be almost at home at the Palais des Sports in Dijon on Thursday evening, for his twentieth cape in the blue jersey.

The coach once again had to deal without the players from Asvel and Monaco, retained with their clubs in the Euroleague, as well as the NBA players, in the middle of the regular season with their franchises.

Returning from the United States to join Paris Basketball in January, Axel Toupane, NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks in July 2021, took the opportunity to make his return to the selection, almost two and a half years after his last appearance for the tanned adventure of the 2019 World Cup.

"It was also a goal and a desire when you return to Europe, you can more easily play in the national team", explained Toupane on the site of the French Basketball Federation, before the gathering of the Blues.

Basketball player Axel Toupane, during the World Cup match against Jordan, September 3, 2019 in Shenzhen (China) Nicolas ASFOURI AFP / Archives

After this international window, the French will meet again at the beginning of July (travel to Montenegro and reception of Hungary), before switching to the second qualifying phase for the World Cup-2023 at the end of August, then to Euro-2022 in September in Germany. (Berlin and Cologne).

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The program

Thusday

(7:00 p.m.) France-Portugal

Sunday

(6:00 p.m.) Portugal - France

© 2022 AFP