Kolo Muani has tried Mbappé's protective mask and it was an eye-opener: ‘You really see nothing’

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Kylian Mbappe of France reacts after missing an opportunity during a quarter final match between Portugal and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Hamburg, Germany, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

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Kylian Mbappe of France reacts after an injury during a quarter final match between Portugal and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Hamburg, Germany, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

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Kylian Mbappe of France is checked out for an injury during a quarter final match between Portugal and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Hamburg, Germany, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

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Kylian Mbappe of France sits on the pitch after an injury during a quarter final match between Portugal and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Hamburg, Germany, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

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Kylian Mbappe of France during a quarter final match between Portugal and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Hamburg, Germany, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

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France’s Randal Kolo Muani speaks during a press conference in Paderborn, Germany, Sunday, July 7, 2024. France will play against Spain during their semifinal soccer match at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament on July 9. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

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France’s Randal Kolo Muani gestures as he speaks during a press conference in Paderborn, Germany, Sunday, July 7, 2024. France will play against Spain during their semifinal soccer match at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament on July 9. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

By STEVE DOUGLAS

France striker Randal Kolo Muani didn’t quite appreciate the difficulty teammate Kylian Mbappé was experiencing wearing a protective mask at Euro 2024 until he tried it on.

“You really see nothing,” Kolo Muani said Sunday. “Nothing.”

A broken nose — and the need to wear a vision-limiting mask to cover it – partly explains Mbappé’s relatively subdued displays so far at the European Championship. He has scored just one goal in four games, and that was from the penalty spot.

Still, Kolo Muani jumped to his captain’s defense at a news conference at France’s training base in Paderborn in Germany, praising his leadership skills and saying there was still time for Mbappé to make a difference at Euro 2024.

France plays Spain in Munich in the semifinals on Tuesday.

“It’s natural for him,” Kolo Muani said of the 25-year-old Mbappé being captain. “He has this gift of carrying the team, the group. He gives ideas and advice to the players.

“He was born for this. He was born to pull the group upward.”

Mbappé has also been struggling with some physical problems that he believes won’t be cleared up until he has a full preseason with new club Real Madrid.

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Kolo Muani believes that even if Mbappé isn’t at his full potential, he can still drive France to the title.

“To see him not score, it’s up to us to help him, to push him,” Kolo Muani said. “The competition is not over. Apart from his little broken nose, he’s OK physically.”

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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024