France vs Georgia: Cordinier faces who he considers « a brother », the legend Shengelia
Georgia has never faced France in an official competition. However, this Sunday (2:15 PM) in Riga, this EuroBasket round of 16 will have a special flavor, particularly due to the presence of Tornike Shengelia. The 33-year-old power forward, recently signed by Barcelona, comes off a summer disrupted by health issues but remains his team’s emblematic captain. On the French side, two players know « Toko » well: Isaia Cordinier and Mouhammadou Jaiteh, who shared the Virtus Bologna locker room with him.
Shengelia, a diminished but still present leader
Affected by cardiac arrhythmia during preparation, Shengelia missed part of the summer but was determined to participate in EuroBasket. Although staff planned to rest him, he insisted on playing, proving once again his commitment to the national jersey. His statistics are down (9.6 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 21 minutes), far from the impact of NBA players Goga Bitadze (18.3 points and 6.8 rebounds) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (14.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists), but his role remains crucial.
Isaia Cordinier: « He became a brother »
In Riga on Friday, Isaia Cordinier reflected on his shared years with Shengelia in Bologna, from March 2022 to the 2025 Italian championship title in June:
« He became a brother. We went through many stages together. We made a sort of pact for the last playoffs in Italy because we knew the cycle in Bologna was coming to an end. We wanted to finish on a high note, and that’s what we managed to do. We were really proud of it. I know he’s someone I’ll stay in touch with for the rest of my career, my life. We experienced four strong years in Bologna. […] We haven’t seen each other yet in Riga, but we texted right after the Greece-Spain game. We’re ready to go to war. »
Regarding Sunday’s matchup, the French guard is aware of the danger Georgia presents:
« We know they have great players, especially inside. For us, it will be a good test, because we’re diminished in that position with the injuries, while that’s their strength. It’s going to be a good match-up and we’ll need to adapt. Most importantly, they play very hard, with a lot of pride. We need to match their commitment and show even more determination. As I say, it will be a clash of styles. But they have an ACB MVP, two established NBA players, Toko who’s still among the EuroLeague’s top five… So it will be a real clash of styles and we’ll try to impose ours. »
Jaiteh: « A unique experience »
Mouhammadou Jaiteh also played with Shengelia wearing the Virtus jersey between 2022 and 2023:
« He’s a player with unique experience. Physically, what he does is impressive. He has the body and basketball IQ that match his leadership. Obviously, he’ll be one of the players we need to contain. It’s positive for us to know him well, because we played together for a few years and Guerschon has had many matchups against him. It will help us, because he’s a player capable of many things. »
France vs Georgia will be much more than an unprecedented matchup in official competition. The reunion between former teammates will bring an extra dimension to this round of 16 where Les Bleus will need to impose their intensity against a tough and ambitious Georgian team.
In Riga,
Commentaires