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French hopes raised by dovetailing defenders

With one group game left, France are still in the hunt for a UEFA European Under-17 Championship semi-final spot, a scenario for which the defensive partnership of Darnel Situ and Dennis Appiah can take a lot of credit.

Centre-back pair Dennis Appiah (left) Darnel Situ have formed a sold partnership for France
Centre-back pair Dennis Appiah (left) Darnel Situ have formed a sold partnership for France ©Sportsfile

Going into their final group game against Italy on Tuesday, France are still in the hunt for a UEFA European Under-17 Championship semi-final spot, a scenario for which the dovetailing defensive partnership of Darnel Situ and Dennis Appiah can take a lot of credit.

Chemistry
While France coach Philippe Bergeroo has chopped and changed his squad several times this year, his two central defenders have remained the same. Dennis Appiah and captain Darnel Situ have started all eight games from the qualifying round to the final tournament. The two players have a great chemistry, according to Appiah. "We complement each other well because I have these passing skills and he is rock-solid," Appiah told uefa.com. "I know that if he makes a challenge, the forward will not get past him. I will cover him, he will cover me, we know we can trust each other." In their last competitive five games, Les Mini-Bleus have conceded only two goals.

Versatility
So, what makes a good central defender? Situ and Appiah have differing views, although that might go some way to explaining why they complement each other so well. "A good central defender must bring serenity to his team," said Situ,"and reassure his team-mates; show them that they can feel free to go forward because we are taking care of the situation at the back." Appiah's take? "To be a good central defender today you need to do more than only defend," he countered. "You have to be able to turn defence into attack, delivering pinpoint passes because our first touch is usually the start of a new attack." The AS Monaco FC player has practised what he preaches over the first two games, showing surgical precision in his long passing to the flanks.

Goal threat
The defensive duo not only start the attacks, but have been involved in finishing them too. Situ is a danger in the area at set-pieces standing at 1.92m, and indeed his presence paid off in France's opening game of the tournament with Switzerland when he scored as he did against Belarus in the Elite round. The RC Lens defender is actually France's leading scorer since the qualifying round and said: "We work a lot on set-pieces in training. It is one of our main weapons."

Differences

Their differences are not confined to their stature, Situ is a full head taller than Appiah, or their approach on the pitch. Situ claims Appiah's PlayStation talents leave a lot to be desired and in terms of footballing heroes, the latter is a Lilian Thuram fan while Situ names AS Roma's Philippe Mexès as his favourite player. However, they do share a common passion for the African program Ma Famille and Ivory Coast actor Michel Gohou. A little distraction to alleviate the pressure ahead of Tuesday's Group A decider against Italy might just help with a victory sure to secure France's progress.