France defeats Hungary with ease to finish international window on high note
France vs Hungary 2nd leg victory for les bleus
Strong first half sets the tone
Rigorous in defense and very accurate from long distance (17/31 on 3-points), Frédéric Fauthoux‘s men got off to a good start and generally controlled the match despite relaxing in the second half. The idea seemed clear from the tip-off won by the Tricolores: start strong to avoid the same headaches as in Szombathely.
Adam Mokoka took the lead by scoring 9 quick points and influencing his teammates to do the same. Well-adjusted since his game-winner in Hungary, the fiery Sylvain Francisco took over from long distance, finding the target on his 4 attempts in the first half (15 points at halftime, 17 final). The Blues didn’t forget their defensive principles either, with Mokoka providing an athletic block early in the match (19-6, 7th minute).
The surprising Petr Cornelie also made his mark, going high to swat Gergo Meleg under the rim. « Fulfilled, » the former Le Mans player said afterward in the press conference, both for the victory and for a brilliant sequence early in the second quarter: served twice on alley-oops, then in his hands, Cornelie slammed three dunks in succession, making Antarès roar (32-21, 13th minute).
Second-half struggles before closing strong
At halftime, the French had corrected one of their main flaws from Friday: only 6 turnovers, quite reasonable for a team that had 55 points. After returning from the locker room with the same tempo and success, they built their biggest lead of the game at 25 points on a long-range shot by Amine Noua (60-35, 23rd minute).
« And then, we fell a bit into the false rhythm that the Hungarians wanted to take us into, » sighed the French coach after the match. Without dwelling too long on this rough patch, an 11-0 run closely linked to Zoltan Perl‘s awakening (12 points in the second half) and some avoidable turnovers brought Hungary back to within 10 points (67-57, 29th minute).
Deux à la suite pour les Bleus : validé ✅
L'Équipe de France 🇫🇷 s'impose sur le parquet d'Antarès face à la Hongrie.#TeamFranceBasket #PassionnémentBleu #FIBAWC #FRAHUN pic.twitter.com/rasQshUPi4
— Équipes de France de Basket (@FRABasketball) March 1, 2026
Jumpstarted by a very consistent Amine Noua throughout the match, the Tricolores finished better. More serene and relieved, like the Antarès crowd awakened by a stepback with match-sealing qualities by Élie Okobo (88-71, 37th minute). This victory is particularly important for France as Finland defeated Belgium (78-75) simultaneously. Les Bleus conclude this international qualification window for the 2027 World Cup in second place in Group G, validating their ticket to the second phase of the qualifiers.
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