Wilfried Zaha’s reaction to advice given by his Crystal Palace colleague Jean-Philippe Mateta. Mateta had recently been talking up his prospects of being called up to the French national team. Keeping Company Mateta had a refreshing discussion with the 10 players – including Zaha – while he was cut off from seeing the pitch with Crystal Palace. Their conversation was peppered with laughter and good-natured ribbing.
During the light-hearted discussion, the players joked about the challenges Mateta would face in breaking into a competitive squad filled with stars like Karim Benzema. Zaha stressed that they didn’t mean to discourage Mateta’s dreams.
“The conversation that was had was his chances of playing for France way back when he wasn’t playing for Palace and there were 10 players that he had this conversation with and as friends, we laughed it off but we were joking around, saying that it is going to be difficult, especially with (Karim) Benzema and all these different players playing in those positions.” – Wilfried Zaha
Zaha was quick to congratulate Mateta on his debut for France with an Instagram message of support, happy to see his friend getting the call-up he deserved. But he was hurt, offended, and betrayed by Mateta’s statements, which he took as a serious distortion, if not outright fabrication, of what had been an earlier friendly chat.
Previously Zaha had regarded Mateta as a friend before the incident. In doing so, he felt let down, considering it as a betrayal.
“It’s disgusting when I see someone that I thought was a friend do that.” – Wilfried Zaha
For Zaha, it has long been a dream to play for the French national team. For Emeka, being able to showcase his skills on the pitch is what’s most important to get their attention. Despite the recent controversy, his commitment to this goal is still unquestionable.
In addition to addressing his feelings about Mateta’s comments, Zaha clarified the intentions behind their earlier conversation, stating, “We never ever once said, ‘You’re never going to make it.’”
Mateta’s successful debut for France marks a significant milestone in his career, while Zaha continues to pursue his own ambitions within football. Her experience speaks to the intricacies of a camaraderie built in hyper-competitive spaces where ambition and jealousy often coexist.
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