In Kazakhstan, where the cold awaits them and a synthetic field difficult to apprehend, the Blues need to win, Sunday at 3 p.m., to launch a qualifying campaign for the World-2022 badly started.
"We should not expect an easy match, otherwise we risk being shaken," warns Hugo Lloris.
It will be -10 degrees outside the stadium, but the Blues will be able to do without gloves and tights thanks to the retractable roof of the Astana Arena.
The France team needs to win Sunday against Kazakhstan to launch a qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup that got off to a bad start.
The inaugural draw at home against Ukraine on Wednesday made the world champions understand that it was going to be a long road to Qatar.
But between the time difference - 4 hours more in Kazakhstan - a synthetic pitch difficult to grasp and an over-motivated opponent, Sunday's match is not played in advance.
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“Hosting the France team, I think it's a fantastic challenge for Kazakhstan. They will make it difficult for us. We shouldn't expect an easy match, otherwise we risk ending up. shake up, "warns Hugo Lloris, captain of the France team.
If Kazakhstan is largely in Asia, the country had chosen in 2002 to join the European championships to offer itself more visibility.
"In Kazakhstan, we only think about that"
On Sunday, the game will take place behind closed doors, much to the regret of 16-year-old Bakythian, who plays for a 3rd division club.
It's a highly anticipated match at home, he confirms.
"All my football buddies think about it, talk about it every day. Everyone is hoping that Kazakhstan can at least score one goal. It would be an honor against the world champions."
Thanks to oil revenues, Kazakhstan has invested heavily in infrastructure and training.
Its national team has recently not been unworthy against Belgium, losing little.
After crossing Eden Hazard, the Kazakhstanis now dream of tripping over teammates Kilian Mbappé.