Minutes before his ill-fated gesture that sent the Blues into extra-time, the FC Barcelona player spoke during a time-out to try and develop a strategy, which turned out to be a losing one. The Blues eventually lost to the wire in this quarter-final (35-34) and left the Olympic tournament frustrated.
What regrets will they harbor… This Wednesday, August 7, the handball players of the French team were eliminated from the Olympic Games they are playing at home. In Villeneuve-d'Ascq, Nikola Karabatic and his teammates were defeated by the Germans in the quarter-finals. A loss down to the wire, 35-34 after overtime.
And yet, one second from the end of regulation time, the tricolors still led by one point, 29-28. Really on the gong, the Germans scored the equalizing goal at 29-29, synonymous with overtime.
That, thanks to a ball that they managed to intercept on a pass from Dika Mem. The FC Barcelona defender, the author of a beautiful 10/15 in this meeting, was however unhappy with this specific action. But how to explain this blunder?
#Paris2024 | NOOOOOOOOO!
With 6 seconds left, the Blues lose the ball and Germany equalize…
This will be a future overtime between the two teams.
Live extension: https://t.co/kOJfhQ7QZO pic.twitter.com/XmYNTm6MpJ
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) August 7, 2024
Just before the famous action, which later turned out to be indirectly fateful, the meeting was marked by a timeout. If the floor is usually given to the coach or coaches, the players also have their place. During this time, Dika Mem spoke, affirmed.
“Listen to me, listen to me, listen to me” we hear him say on the television images, in the middle of the group of players, before launching a: “Calm down”, in the direction he seems to Hugo Descat. Then, talking to Elohim Prandi, he suggests a tactic: “We engage… Uh, I don't know… You give me the ball, you run to the wing, the guy will run behind you, then you move away. …”
The stoppage time that costs us a home Olympic final:
Dika Mem asserts itself and makes a CATASTROPHIC strategic choice!
Next time, he should be the one to listen and calm down…
what a mistake??
#FRAALL #Handball pic.twitter.com/ljtnpPKVOv— ?????? (@anthodurire) August 7, 2024
At this point, the production cuts and moves to the German camp, without us being able to hear any further conversation. In any case, the French strategy proved to be defeated. During his live commentary, former Toulouse and Blues great Jérôme Fernandez believed that Dika Mem was not solely responsible for the failure in this action: “But why give the ball to Dika, why?” he asked. “Give the ball to a winger, he will dribble…”
Many observers also questioned the timeout call itself, ordered by coach Guillaume Gille with six seconds to go, when the Blues, ahead by a score, had a primary interest in running down the clock.