France 5-0 South Africa: Mbappe scores twice as world champs run riot

Kylian Mbappe's double helped France to a 5-0 win over South Africa in Lille, with Olivier Giroud, Wissam Ben Yedder and Matteo Guendouzi also netting during a dominant display from Didier Deschamps' team.

Mbappe bent home a stunning opener before Giroud doubled France's advantage after 33 minutes, with the Milan striker moving to within three goals of his country's all-time goalscoring record with his composed finish.

Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe won and converted a 76th-minute penalty and Ben Yedder poked home a fourth with nine minutes remaining.

South Africa finished the game with ten men after Khuliso Mudau's late dismissal, with Guendouzi joining the scoring late on as the world champions recorded a seventh consecutive win.

Giroud met Lucas Digne's fifth-minute cross with a firm header to force a strong save from Ronwen Williams, before Mbappe miscued a right-footed finish from 12 yards out after being picked out by the full-back.

But the PSG striker opened the scoring in spectacular fashion on 23 minutes, retrieving Antoine Griezmann's cross before bending a stunning strike into the top-right corner from the edge of the area.

Les Blues needed just 10 more minutes to double their lead, with Griezmann again turning provider when he fed Giroud, who rounded Williams to roll home his 48th international goal. 

Williams made strong near-post saves from both Giroud and Mbappe as France continued to dominate after the break, before the impressive Digne crashed a fine volley against the upright on the hour.

Mbappe marked a starring performance with another goal with a quarter of an hour remaining, drawing a foul from Siyanda Xulu with a terrific burst into the penalty area before rolling the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.

Ben Yedder added some gloss to the scoreline when he prodded over the line from Paul Pogba's header, before Mudau capped a terrible night for South Africa by seeing red for an awful challenge on Adrien Rabiot.

But Les Blues were not done yet, adding a fifth when Guendouzi bent home his first international goal after latching onto Mbappe's pass.

What does it mean? World champions continue strong preparations

Having followed up their 2-1 win over Ivory Coast with another triumph in Lille, Deschamps' side have now won seven consecutive games as they look to bounce back from their Euro 2020 disappointment with a successful defence of their World Cup crown this year.

Impressive Mbappe matches Benzema feat

Mbappe's brace means he has now scored in five consecutive appearances for France, netting nine goals in total during that run.

He is the first player to score in five successive games for Les Blues since Real Madrid's Karim Benzema did so between November 2013 and June 2014 (a total of seven goals).  

Giroud closes in on record books

Milan striker Giroud is now just three goals away from equalling Thierry Henry's record of 51 goals for France after doubling the hosts' advantage with a composed left-footed finish.

The 35-year-old could this become Les Blues' most lethal marksman before travelling to Qatar, where he will hope for another strong tournament after featuring in all seven of France's games at Russia 2018.  

What's next? 

With the last international break of the campaign done and dusted, France are next in action when they host Denmark in a new Nations League campaign on June 3.