N’GOLO KANTE was “too shy” to ask to hold the World Cup after France’s 4-2 final victory – so Steven N’Zonzi had to step in to help him.
N’Zonzi asked team-mates to let the midfielder have a go as the jubilant French team celebrated in the Moscow rain, according to reports.
5
5
Kante, 27, was in superb form in Russia during Didier Deschamps’ side’s march to the final.
But he had a muted evening at the Luzhniki Stadium, being swamped by Croatia’s midfielders and back-tracking forwards.
And after he picked up a yellow card, Deschamps hauled him off after 55 minutes for N’Zonzi before Les Bleus went on to win 4-2.
But in the aftermath of France’s euphoric celebrations of their second World Cup, it appeared Kante was struggling to get a turn with the trophy.
5
5
5
The Chelsea man, who won league titles with Leicester and the Blues in consecutive seasons, is well known for being shy and reserved.
He was shown on France’s team bus on the way away from the stadium looking abashed as his team-mates sang hilarious songs in tribute to his ability.
The squad sang: “N’Golo Kante, N’Golo Kante, he’s short, he’s beautiful, he’s the one that stopped Lionel Messi, N’Golo Kante.”
Kante is a player in the image of his manager Deschamps, who lifted the trophy for France 20 years ago during their maiden World Cup victory on home soil in 1998.
But now their 2018 team is a new vintage, with players such as Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe, Raphael Varane and Kante joining names like Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira, Laurent Blanc and Deschamps in the pantheon of greats.
Not that Kante would want anyone to sing about it.
