Arsenal defender William Saliba congratulated Matteo Guendouzi after the latter netted his first goal for France during the international break. The Gunners’ midfielder, currently on loan at Olympique Marseille, was introduced as a second-half substitute in Les Bleus’ friendly clash with South Africa on Tuesday.
Kylian Mbappe had already managed to net a brace for the reigning world champions, whilst ex- Arsenal man Olivier Giroud had found the net. Wissam Ben-Yedder appeared to have rounded off the scoring ten minutes from time but Guendouzi still found enough time to get his own name on the scoresheet.
In the midst of stoppage time, he collected on the edge of the area before sweeping home an excellent right-footed effort beyond the grasp of South Africa keeper Ronwen Williams. The strike marked the 22-year-old’s first goal for his country in what was just his third appearance.
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It also continues his excellent form over the international break having teed up Aurelien Tchouameni for France’s late winning goal against the Ivory Coast last time out. After finding the net, Guendouzi was sent a message by Saliba - the pair having shared the dressing room at both Marseille this season, and now France.
Posting on his Instagram story, the defender wrote: “Congrats bro on your first Blue goal.”
Guendouzi’s goal for France continues the hot form that he has managed to find on-loan at the Stade Velodrome this season. The youngster has made 43 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit so far this term, scoring four and notching 13 assists.
Whilst his stint in France was originally only a temporary arrangement, he is expected to extend his stay by penning a permanent deal with Marseille. The same is unlikely to be said of Saliba though, who was also handed his France debut by Didier Deschamps during the international break.
The former Saint-Etienne man has also caught the eye with Les Olympiens but is unlikely to be allowed to depart on a permanent basis. The defender currently has just two years left to run on his current deal with Arsenal though so a decision over his long-term future needs to be made relatively soon.
