‘I lost my temper because Kylian Mbappe didn’t pay me any attention’: Paraguay’s Orlando Gill breaks silence over no-handshake drama

France’s Kylian Mbappe watches Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton) Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill has explained Kylian Mbappe’s dramatic post-match incident following France’s heated 1-0 World Cup round of 16 victory over Paraguay, admitting he “lost his temper” after the France captain ignored his attempt to shake his hand.The tense encounter at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia was one of the most physical and dangerous matches of the tournament, with Mbappe repeatedly the target of Paraguay’s aggressive approach. Despite constant challenges and verbal exchanges throughout the match, the France captain kept his cool and eventually had the final say when he scored the winning penalty in the 70th minute. The dispute continued after the final whistle, when the players lined up for the usual post-match handshake. TV cameras caught Gill reaching out to Mbappe, only for the France captain to walk past and celebrate with his team-mates and fans. Moments later, a frustrated Gill threw the ball at Mbappe and hit him in the back.“I tried to shake his hand, but because he wasn’t paying any attention to me, I lost my nerve,” Gill said after the game, according to the AP. “But anyway, that’s all I did; I calmed down after that.”Mbappe seemed unfazed by the incident as he had already played a crucial role in securing France’s progress to the quarter-finals. The forward converted the penalty after a VAR review found Diego Gomez had fouled Desire Doue in the box.Given the fiery nature of the match, Mbappe insisted France were prepared for Paraguay’s physical tactics.“We knew what kind of game it was going to be,” Mbappé said in French. “We can get our hands dirty too, we know how. We know how to play dirty football. They probably thought we’d show up in tuxedos, but we were ready.”The match, which was played in extreme heat with temperatures approaching 38 degrees Celsius, saw several flashpoints involving Mbappe, who was repeatedly fouled and involved in numerous confrontations. Paraguayan Andrés Cubas and Matías Galarza were among the players who clashed with the France captain during the match.France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged the challenge posed by both Paraguayan tactics and the weather conditions.“Because of our style of play, it was harder to give a high intensity,” said Deschamps.The victory extended France’s perfect record at the tournament to five wins from five games, with Les Bleus outscoring their opponents 14-2 so far. Deschamps also welcomed the stern examination his side faced against Paraguay.“As I told the players, we’ve had easy games so far, so it’s good to have a tough one,” said Deschamps.France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals as they continue their quest to reclaim the World Cup trophy they last won in 2018.