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Mavuba leading by example

France captain Rio Antonio Mavuba cannot wait to face Serbia and Montenegro after two outstanding displays at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

France captain Rio Antonio Mavuba cannot wait to face Serbia and Montenegro after two outstanding displays at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

High class
The all-action FC Girondins de Bordeaux midfielder has been one of the star attractions at these finals in Portugal, underlining why he was considered unlucky by many to miss out on FIFA World Cup selection. After a tireless display in the 1-0 victory against the hosts in Braga last Tuesday, Mavuba stepped up another gear to help Les Bleus rack up a 3-0 win against Germany in Guimaraes.

Gracious
He crowned his performance with a stunning goal that saw him run from midfield, skip past two German defenders and finish with the aplomb of a striker. As would be expected of an unassuming 22-year-old who had accepted the Carlsberg Man of the Match award on Thursday with a bashful grin and gracious thanks, Mavuba is low-key about his decisive contribution. “I went between the gap of two players, put my foot down and scored,” was the simple but accurate version of a goal that less humble players would be be reliving in blow-by-blow detail.

'Real honour'
Mavuba is loving leading a team that could well emulate the France side that secured U21 glory in 1988. “It is a real honour for me to be the captain,” he said. “I am really proud. It is a really good generation of players coming through.” With the likes of Steve Mandanda, Yoann Gourcuff and Florent Sinama-Pongolle also catching the eye, he believes France will secure a semi-final spot when they take on Serbia and Montenegro tomorrow. “We are tired but winning helps you to recover. We will have a good rest and be ready for the last match. I like playing on this two or three day cycle.” Not as much as we like watching him.

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