The Blues, deprived of most of their stars, won against the Croats on Friday, and make up their ticket for Eurobasket, which will start on August 27.

No Victor Wembanyama, Evan Fournier or Guerschon Yabusele? No (big) problem for the Blues. The French team won against Croatia (83-80), Friday, February 21, thus validating its qualification for the next Eurobasket (August 27-September 14), which will take place in four countries (Latvia, Cyprus, Finland, Poland). Undessioned so far in this qualification phase with four victories in as many matches (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cyprus twice), the teammates of Isaïa Cordinier could finish the work this Friday.

In Zadar, the scene of the title of Junior European Champions of Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Ronny Turiaf in 2000, Lhe players of the new coach Frédéric Faux fought to distance the Croats. The fault of the former NBA player Mario Hezonja, untenable and author of 16 points in the first period (37 in total) to keep his own at only two points at the break (37-35). The Blues, carried by an Elie Okobo decisive (16 points), then accelerated to defend a gap mounted at 15 points but led to four points to 30 seconds from the end.

With a young team, where only Matthew Strazel, Andrew Albicy and Isaïa Cordinier were present this summer at the Olympic Games, the tricolor staff was able to lead a major workforce for the Eurobasket. There will be a match on Monday, against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Orleans (9:10 p.m.), to validate the group's first place and conclude this successful campaign.