Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani (24) was an unsung hero for France despite finishing runners-up to Argentina in the World Cup final. At 2-0 down, the forward replaced Ousmane Dembélé in the first-half and would go on to play a significant role in arguably one of the greatest finals.
Following Christopher Nkunku’s knee injury that ruled the RB Leipzig attacker out of the tournament, Kolo Muani was the player that Didier Deschamps called upon. The 24-year-old scored France’s second goal against Morocco in the semi-final and would terrorise Nicolás Otamendi & Co. in the final.
Kolo Muani was magnificent on the night despite France falling short. A free transfer from FC Nantes in the summer, the Frenchman won the penalty for Kylian Mbappé’s first goal of the night, and came close to winning the World Cup with virtually the last kick of the game, forcing Emi Martinez into a phenomenal save.
Kolo Muani described his first World Cup as a “magical experience,” adding: “Playing here makes me incredibly proud. I enjoyed every minute. I didn’t expect to be here.”
SGE sporting director Markus Krösche added: “Randal played a very strong final. We are very proud of him. France came back into the game after he was substituted on. Everyone saw what a strong player he is. Also he represented Eintracht Frankfurt excellently. He almost scored the winning goal.”
With 5 goals and 10 assists in 14 Bundesliga games for Eintracht Frankfurt this season, Kolo Muani was fully deserving of his place in the France squad and now has his name on the world stage.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
