THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
chapter-663

663 The Fight for Glory

Kylian Mbappé raced forward as if his life depended on it as he anticipated the overhead ball from Paul Pogba. Time seemed to slow down, and he chested it forward with incredible finesse.

Wilfried Kanon, Ivory Coast's left wing-back, flashed forward to intercept him, but Mbappé deftly fed the ball past the Ivorian defender and raced ahead like Usain Bolt, leaving Kanon trailing in his wake.

Mbappé then cut back into the pitch, charging towards the box with unwavering determination. Eric Bailly, who had just made a timely recovery, rushed to stop him at the edge of the box.

But Mbappé danced left and right, his footwork exquisite and efficient, before breaking past Bailly and stepping into the box. With only Sylvain Gbohouo, the Ivorian keeper, to beat, Mbappé boldly unleashed a powerful shot aimed at the inside of the far post.

Gbohouo's instincts were spot on, though. He stretched out his leg and managed to block the shot. The stadium held its breath as the ball rebounded back into the path of Mbappé, who was ready to pull the trigger again.

Lamine Koné, the other Ivorian center-back, charged back, desperate to eliminate the danger. But Mbappé suckered him in with a feint, stepping towards the center before pulling the trigger again. The ball sailed past Gbohouo and into the net, and with that, he scored France's first goal of the night during the 74th minute.

The French fans erupted in celebration, their cheers reverberating through the stadium. They now felt that their team had a great chance of completing a comeback.

But Mbappé didn't join them in the celebration. He quickly picked the ball from the back of the net, raced back to the center, and placed it at the center spot. He exchanged silent nods with his teammates, and they swiftly retook their positions, their mannerisms resembling seasoned military men preparing for battle.

Their intentions were clear. They meant business and wanted to restart the game as quickly as possible.

—–

In the Ivorian technical area, Coach Hervé Renard felt the pressure rising, his heart racing. France's goal had just made the situation on the field precarious.

His team was now only leading by a single goal, and with more than a quarter of an hour left in regular playing time on the clock, there was plenty of opportunity for the French to do more damage. He knew he had to act swiftly and decisively, starting with motivating his players.

Renard strode to the touchline, his voice cutting through the stadium din. "Don't lose heart! Defense! Give more than 100 percent! We are still leading! We are on the brink of a historic victory…" His words resonated with the players, and he could see them regaining their determination.

With his players reinvigorated, Renard turned his attention to the tactical error that had led to France's goal. He had noticed Wilfried Kanon showing signs of exhaustion earlier, as he had been marking the relentless Mbappé.

But still, Renard had delayed substituting Kanon, hoping he could continue doing a great job. But world-class players like Mbappé only need a moment of lapse to capitalize.

Recognizing the urgency, Renard called for a substitution when the ball went out of play for a throw-in. He swapped the exhausted Wilfried Kanon with Adama Traoré, a fresh left-back, to mark Mbappé and stop him from causing further damage. Additionally, he brought on Maxwel Cornet for Nicolas Pépé, hoping Cornet's fresh legs would aid Traoré in marking Mbappé.

On the opposite bench, the French coach, Didier Deschamps, responded with a substitution of his own. He replaced Blaise Matuidi with Ousmane Dembélé, seeking to bolster France's attacking prowess.

The game restarted after the substitutes took their positions. The French players resumed their relentless offensive, their spirits lifted by the goal they had just scored. They moved the ball around energetically, probing for gaps in the Ivorian defense.

But as often happens with teams focused on an aggressive comeback, the French left themselves vulnerable to counterattacks. This nearly cost them in the 81st minute when Franck Kessié, ever alert, intercepted a loose pass from Paul Pogba at the edge of the box. He quickly looked up and found Zachary just outside the defensive third.

Zachary received the ball on the half-turn, eyes scanning the field for an opportunity to counterattack. The tension in the stadium was palpable as the French fans held their breath, knowing how dangerous Zachary could be.

Zachary didn't hesitate and tried to pull away from N'Golo Kanté, but Kanté, reading the situation perfectly, took a daring risk. He swept in with another of his signature tackles, halting Zachary's charge forward and sending him tumbling to the ground with a thud.

An air of uncertainty immediately enveloped the pitch. N'Golo Kanté was already on a yellow card, yet the foul he had just committed against Zachary deserved another.

Some of the Ivorian players ran to the referee, demanding justice, while the French players stepped forward to plead their case. But after some deliberation, the referee gave Kanté only a verbal warning and awarded a free-kick to Ivory Coast.

Zachary lay on the ground, disappointment mingling with pain. He would have loved for Kanté to receive a red card, as the midfielder's boot had caught him on the shin of his right leg, causing considerable damage.

Moreover, the fact that even the VAR did not decree the foul as deserving of a red card added to his frustration. If he didn't know better, he would think the officials favored France..

His teammates gathered around him, worry evident on their faces. "Are you okay?" they asked, concern lacing their voices. But Zachary didn't know how to reply. He was just filled with frustration.

In the meantime, the referee summoned the on-pitch medical staff, who rushed to Zachary's side. They quickly pulled down his stocking and examined the injured area. His shin was already swelling, so they applied ice before helping him off the pitch to the sideline.

A tense air hung over the field as the game restarted without Zachary. The French quickly won back the ball and launched another swift attack, exploiting their temporary numerical advantage. They cut through the middle, where Zachary was absent, their passes flowing like running water.

Antoine Griezmann eventually found Paul Pogba at the edge of the box. Before the Ivorian defenders could react, Pogba prodded the ball forward to open the shooting angle and swiftly pulled the trigger. The ball flew off his boot with incredible speed, deflecting off Serey Dié's thigh and finding the back of the net.

Finally, the French had gotten their second and equalizing goal during the 84th minute. The score was now 2-2. They had taken advantage of Zachary's absence from the midfield to inflict significant damage.

Zachary was still receiving treatment on the sidelines. He felt his heart clench as he watched the French players celebrate. Ivory Coast had only needed to hold on for a few more minutes to win the World Cup, but now their task had become much more challenging.

As he brooded, Cheick Doukouré, one of the Ivorian substitutes, approached with a message from Coach Hervé Renard. The message consisted of a single question: Can you continue?

Zachary eagerly nodded and said yes. Although he still felt pain in his shin, there was no way he would step off the pitch and leave the match in the balance. He wanted World Cup glory and knew he had to see it through himself.

Seeing his resolve, Doukouré smiled and rushed back to deliver Zachary's response to the coach. The medics narrowed their eyes, seeming to want to offer some words of caution. But Zachary shut them down before they could speak.

He had a stock of vitality-enhancing elixirs, the rewards from winning the Champions League and the Serie A in the past season. Even if his injury worsened, he could rely on those elixirs to heal and achieve his peak quickly after the match. But as of now, he had to step back on the pitch and see the game through.

He told the medics to apply some pain relief to his shin. With a bit of coaxing, they agreed and sprayed his shin. As the drug was absorbed into his skin, he felt the pain ebb slightly, bringing some relief.

Feeling relieved that the injury might not be serious, he pulled up his stockings, got up, and headed to the touchline. At first, he limped, but then he started jogging until he reached the centerline. The referee quickly waved him on, and he rejoined the play, determined to grow back into the game.

A few seconds later, after the ball went out of play for a throw-in, Didier Deschamps, the French coach, called for a substitution. He took off N'Golo Kanté and brought on Steven Nzonzi, unwilling to risk keeping Kanté on the pitch with the threat of a red card hanging over him.

The game continued after that, with Zachary fighting through the pain and looking to help his team create more scoring opportunities. Ivory Coast's defense also tightened, knowing they had to withstand the French pressure in the final minutes.

Buoyed by the two goals they had just scored, the French players of course tried their best to create chances. They seamlessly blended wing-play tactics, short passes, and crosses as they searched for a breakthrough. But their efforts remained futile as the Ivorian players kept their lines tight, barring them from breaking through the middle.

As for Zachary, he moved with a purposeful efficiency, constantly avoiding unnecessary actions as his mind was focused on one objective. He was lurking and waiting for an opportunity. He was waiting for the French to make a mistake, and then he would pounce forward and capitalize on it.