NEW JERSEY, United States, June 16 (Xinhua) -- France coach Didier Deschamps praised Kylian Mbappe's leadership and mental strength after the captain scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Senegal in their FIFA World Cup Group I opener on Tuesday.
Mbappe's brace lifted his World Cup tally to 14 goals, moving him level with German legend Gerd Muller for third place on the tournament's all-time scoring list, but Deschamps insisted the result was more about teamwork than individual performance.
"The first World Cup match is always special," Deschamps said. "We made too many technical mistakes in the first half and were a little inhibited, but that can happen in an opening match."
Despite fielding a star-studded attack featuring Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue, France struggled to create chances before halftime. Senegal looked the more dangerous side and came close to taking the lead before the break.
Deschamps said his team's second-half improvement was largely due to a positional adjustment involving Olise.
"When Michael played more centrally, there were more connections between the players and our overall play became more fluid," he said.
Deschamps also defended Mbappe against criticism that he is "overly individualistic".
"He is not only the captain on the pitch, but also a leader off it," Deschamps said. "People on the outside may think he is selfish, but he does a lot for the team."
The coach acknowledged that Mbappe was not at his sharpest early in the match, but praised the 27-year-old's ability to respond.
"He is not a player who doubts himself," Deschamps said. "Like the rest of the team, he had a few technical mistakes in the first half, but he found his rhythm in the second."
Despite the comfortable win, Deschamps stressed that France still has room for improvement, citing technical errors, tactical balance and the challenges posed by the opening match of a World Cup campaign.
"We still have another match to win," he said. "One victory means nothing. We will not underestimate any opponent."
France will face Iraq in Philadelphia on June 22. ■
