Reactions after France – Iceland: « We took it seriously »
French National Team - Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Guerschon Yabusele, Isaia Cordinier and Nadir Hifi reflected on France's victory against Iceland (114-74) this Thursday, September 4, at EuroBasket 2025.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié
After France’s big win against Iceland (114-74) to conclude the group phase of EuroBasket 2025, several French players shared their thoughts on the game in Katowice.
Mouhammadou Jaiteh: « This game was important to build confidence and find cohesion for upcoming matches. We didn’t know our future opponent but wanted to respect both our opponent and ourselves. At the start of the game, it was important to bring the right intensity and desire, to set the right tone. […] Even in games we won, we had trouble maintaining leads and made mistakes. Despite Iceland being eliminated, we managed to maintain discipline. This is an important victory. »
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: « We took it seriously. We played together, shared the ball, everyone contributed. That was the goal and we achieved it, so that’s good. »
Guerschon Yabusele: « This game was really important for us before starting the round of 16, to build everyone’s confidence. Everyone scored more today. I think we had 8 or 9 players with 10 points. In a game like this, as we said at the start and at halftime, there’s no need to be frustrated. You could see things were going well for us. We took the lead very early. So we just had to execute. We needed to build confidence, play together, and impose our game. It was important for us. And it’s good that it happened at the end, before starting the round of 16. We need to be full of confidence to start the final phases. »
Isaia Cordinier: « The important thing was to have the right approach. It was still an important game to get the win, build confidence, and maximize our chances for first place. It was our second tricky match in this group – we fell for the first one and wanted to respond. Iceland had stayed competitive in all their games. […] The team was serious, and I think we approached the game the right way. We saw what we can produce when we defend, run in transition, keep the rhythm, and shots fall. Having many players with 10 or more points shows our collective strength. It’s perfect for getting into rhythm, working, and building confidence. In previous matches, we’d build a 10-12 point lead and let teams catch up. »
Nadir Hifi: « A game with such a big margin feels good for everyone. We shared the ball, everyone enjoyed themselves, it’s good. »
In Katowice,
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
Guerschon Yabusele
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France
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Mouhammadou Jaiteh
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Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot
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Nadir Hifi
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Isaïa Cordinier
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EuroBasket
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