Bafetimbi Gomis celebrated his first cap with two goals to earn France a 2-0 win over Ecuador in a Euro 2008 warmup on Tuesday.
Forward Gomis, who is hoping coach Raymond Domenech will include him on Wednesday in his 23-man squad for the finals, fired an angled shot into the top corner from just inside the box after 59 minutes.
The 22-year-old St Etienne player, one of the few to shine in a generally dull game played on a slippery pitch, then sealed victory with an acrobatic volley four minutes from time.
"I'm pleased with this performance which will help me improve, whatever happens next," Gomis told reporters.
Domenech rested several first-choice players including Thierry Henry and Franck Ribery and the game did not come to life until the last few minutes of the first half.
SOLID PERFORMANCE
"It was a solid collective performance and we got better as the match went on," said Domenech.
"Now I have to tell seven players [from his provisional 30-man squad] we're leaving them behind. I won't sleep well."
Ecuador created the first clear chance, forward Carlos Tenorio racing into the box on 38 minutes and twisting his way past goalkeeper Sebastien Frey only to see his effort cleared off the line by France captain Lilian Thuram.
France responded with a diving header by Djibril Cisse which was punched out by keeper Marcelo Elizaga.
The hosts survived another fright before the break when a header from Segundo Castillo was saved by Frey.
France played more aggressively in the second half, threatening on 55 minutes with a shot by Gomis that went just wide before the forward finally broke through four minutes later.
Domenech's team next play Paraguay in Toulouse on May 31 and Colombia in Paris three days later before heading for the June 7-29 finals in Austria and Switzerland where they will face Romania, Netherlands and Italy in Group C.
© 2024 Rediff.com -