While the 2022 World Cup started on Sunday with Ecuador’s victory against Qatar (2-0), Ti Sport gives you an update on all the players playing in a Breton club present in Doha.
That’s it, the most prestigious of football competitions has begun. All players in the world dream of participating in this planetary event once in their life, but only a handful of them are granted this privilege every four years. Among the approximately 800 players who will compete in the competition, several of them play in our Breton clubs. We make the presentations.
Stade Rennais, main Breton representative
Among the 3 Breton Ligue 1 clubs, Rennes will be the most represented in Qatar this winter. The eight representatives of the Bretillian workforce will each have a good part to play with their nation and some can claim the coveted title of world champion.
Jeremy Doku (Belgium)
The 20-year-old nugget from Rennes will be on the trip with Belgium. After only 10 selections, the right winger will experience his first major competition with his country. Very gifted technically, Doku is in line with the cracks who have exploded at Stade Rennais like Dembélé and Camavinga, but he must always confirm his talent.
A little in difficulty in terms of statistics this season, Doku still obtained the confidence of Roberto Martinez. Between Thorgan Hazard, Meunier and Castagne, the competition is strong on the right side of the Red Devils and Doku will have to prove himself if he wants to get playing time.
Arthur Theate (Belgium)
The great 22-year-old central defender, preferred to Denayer, is one of the surprises on the Belgian list. With only 3 selections, Theate is not a regular for the Red Devils, but he seems to be a great solution for the future. At a time when central defenders are becoming rare on the flat country and when the two indisputable Vertonghen and Alderweireld are approaching retirement, the Rennais will have an opportunity to earn his place for the years to come.
This year, Theate has played the majority of games with Rennes and has been solid in his box. Also gifted with the head, the central of 1m85 will be a good option on set pieces in Qatar.
Christopher Wooh (Cameroon)
Arrived this summer from RC Lens, the 21-year-old Cameroonian has already gained importance in the Rennes squad. At the start of the season, Wooh played 6 games and was quite satisfactory in his role as central defender. In addition to defending well, Wooh has a good heading game that has allowed him to score 5 goals in his career.
At the Indomitable Lions, the Rennais can claim a starting place and a final victory, if we are to believe the words of Samuel Eto’o.
Lovro Majer (Croatia)
At 24, the attacking midfielder from Stade Rennais is already an important member of the Croatian team for the present and the future. After a checkered start to the season, Majer was able to regain his place. In selection, he had been able to satisfy his coach Zlatko Dalic during the qualifications for the World Cup and during the League of Nations.
The heart of the Croatian game is a competitive sector with the unbeatable Luka Modric and executives Brozovic and Kovacic. However, the beautiful left leg of Lovro Majer could be a great asset for his coach who should probably give him playing time during the group stages and in the knockout phase if he proves convincing.
Steve Mandanda (France)
The native of Kinshasa will play his third World Cup, after being crowned with the Blues in 2018. As has been the case for almost ten years now, the former Marseillais will be second in the hierarchy of goalkeepers behind Hugo Lloris and ahead of Alphonse Areola.
Arrived this summer in Rennes, Mandanda immediately took on the role of starter instead of young Dogan Aledmar and Alfred Gomis. In 18 games in all competitions this season, the Habs have conceded 15 goals and kept their clean sheet 5 times, they even offered themselves the luxury of delivering an assist to Flavien Tait against Auxerre, the first of their career .
The last rampart still has a very good level, but it is also for his experience and his knowledge of the Blue group that Deschamps chose to summon him. If the group stage goes well for France, Rennes could start against Denmark on November 26.
Kamaldeen Sulemana (Ghana)
The young 20-year-old left winger has been selected by the Ghanaian coach to play in his first World Cup. Arrived in Brittany in the summer of 2021, Sulemana had played 27 games for 5 goals and 2 assists in his first season. This year, the Ghanaian started on a less good footing with 1 goal and 2 assists in 14 games, but his coach still chose to trust him.
Rennais will be present for his second major tournament after CAN 2021, during which he played the 3 matches of his country, released during the group stage. Alongside Thomas Partey, Inaki Williams and the Ayew brothers, Sulemana will have to give his best to get out of a very tough group with Portugal’s Ronaldo, Uruguay’s Suarez and South Korea’s Son.
Joe Rodon (Wales)
On loan from Tottenham this season, the Welshman has already played 14 games with the red and black jersey. Started in 2018 by Ryan Giggs, he has established himself as a regular Dragons starter since 2020 alongside Ethan Apamdu.
At 25, he will have to rise to the occasion alongside former Bale and Ramsey in a group with England, the United States and Iran.
Alfred Gomis (Senegal)
At 29, the Rennais knows the selection well. African champion with Senegal in 2021, Gomis will play his fourth major tournament and his second World Cup. If he had not played in the 2018 edition in Russia, there is a chance that he will suffer the same fate this year since he is the second goalkeeper in the Senegalese hierarchy behind the former Rennais Édouard Mendy, unbeatable.
A single representative for Brest and Lorient
If Stade Rennais is strongly present, our two other Ligue 1 clubs are represented by only one player each. For Stade Brestois, it is the Moroccan Achraf Dari, while on the Merlus side, it is Montassar Talbi who will be traveling with the Tunisian selection.
Achraf Dari (Morocco)
The 23-year-old has been called up by Walid Regragui to go to Qatar with the Moroccan team. Arrived this summer from Wydad AC, Achraf Dari has struggled to show himself at his best since. Holder 8 times out of the 10 games he played, the central defender settled in the Brest hierarchy before the departure of Der Zakarian. Since then, he has only played one game and his level has not convinced the new provisional staff. Under the leadership of Vahid Halilhodžić, Dari had been called up 8 times, without ever playing, before starting his last two selections with the new coach. The only representative from Brest, Dari will have his say during this World Cup.
Montassar Talbi (Tunisia)
Unsurprisingly, Montassar Talbi will be on the trip with Tunisia. From Lorient since this summer, the central defender has started in 14 Ligue 1 matches for Les Merlus. With his country, the 24-year-old who has 22 caps is becoming an important member of the squad. The World Cup will be the second major tournament of his career after CAN 2021 which saw Tunisia fail in the quarter-finals.
