Guilavogui goals push France past Kazakhstan
Friday, October 7, 2011
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France 2-0 Kazakhstan
AS Saint-Étienne midfielder Joshua Guilavogui found the net in each half for Eric Mombaerts's team, who are now joint top of qualifying Group 9.
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France moved level with Slovakia atop qualifying Group 9 thanks to a home victory against Kazakhstan.
Joshua Guilavogui scored twice for Eric Mombaerts's team, who can make it three wins from as many matches in the section when they visit Romania on Tuesday.
The hosts would have been a goal to the good before Guilavogui's 26th-minute opener but for Samat Otarbayev making a point-blank save from Loris Nery. Guilavogui, who plays his club football for AS Saint-Étienne, ensured France did not rue that missed chance when he opened his account at U21 level with a header from a left-wing Frédéric Bulot delivery.
Alexey Chshyotkin gave France a warning they could ill afford to relax when he fashioned space for himself but shot over following Bauyrzhan Islamkhan's ball. Seven minutes after the restart, Emmanuel Rivière warmed Otarbayev's palms, before Guilavogui swiftly turned in Gaël Kakuta's corner for his and Les Bleuets's second.
