With one burst of pace, a devastating cut inside past Theo Hernandez and a powerful shot that beat Mike Maignan, Ibrahim Mbaye made a sensational entrance at the World Cup.
African champion on his international debut with Senegal, the PSG winger scored an exceptional goal, quickly overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe, but it made him the youngest African goalscorer in the history of the competition.
Even so, his late appearance in the match must have left manager Pape Thiaw with plenty of regrets, having preferred Ismaila Sarr, who was certainly willing but terribly wasteful in front of goal, especially in the first half.
Used sparingly by Luis Enrique, Mbaye has lost prominence at club level. However, with the Lions of Teranga, he is the ultimate impact player.
In 13 appearances, he has started only twice, both in friendlies. His stats are excellent, though, with four goals and five assists.
Above all, he has the ability to bring pace down the flank, the kind that can unsettle any defensive unit, including that of the France team, which is not the easiest to break down.
Thanks to his ability to get past defenders, Mbaye is particularly effective late in games. But restricting him to this role is probably selling him short, as his finishing was sorely missed by Senegal in the first half.
No matter who would have been left out of the attack, with him in the starting XI, there might have been a repeat of 2002 or, at the very least, a goal that would have put his team ahead.
Against Norway, Mbaye’s direct running could be key.
In any case, changes will surely be needed. If Senegal underperform, their place in the last 32 would be more at risk than ever.