Ex-PSG Star Okocha Expects France Duo Kante & Pogba To Shine Against Argentina

Published: June 30, 2018

Speaking as a pundit on SuperSport, former Nigeria international Austin Okocha has predicted that Premier League duo N'Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba will be among the key players for France when they take on Argentina in the last sixteen of the World Cup at the Kazan Arena, Kazan on Saturday afternoon.

''We talked about the team being well balanced, we know the job that Kante does for this team, he gives his fellow midfield players the confidence to go forward because he does the job of three people,'' Okocha said.

''Pogba has got every right to show his potential, to show that he's a great player and what everybody expects from him. France will need his services.''

The French National Team scored only three goals in the group stage of the competition and were held to a goalless draw by Denmark in their last match before their meeting with the two-time world champions, but Okocha has insisted that they got the job done having finished first in Group C.

''If you look at it result wise, they topped their group. Yes, they have not played attractive football, they have not met people's expectations but they have done their business.

''Today it's all about doing your business, if you lose you go home. You have to take sentiments away, expectations and stats away, it's all about getting results and they know what they have to do and if they don't do it they will be on their way home,'' added the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder.

The winner of this afternoon's match will battle Portugal or Uruguay in the quarterfinal at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on July 6.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : fifa.com