The fixture will be a repeat of the 2002 edition in South Korea, when the two sides were drawn to face each other in the group-stage opener. During the fixture, Senegal shocked the defending champions, France, with a famous 1-0 victory.

Late Senegal midfielder Papa Bouba Diop scored the only goal of the game in the 30th minute, bundling the ball over the line from close range following a scramble in the penalty box.

Senegal was playing in their first-ever World Cup match and contributed to knocking the defending world champions out, as they failed to score a goal in the entire tournament.

Ahead of the re-match, the 35-year-old Kante has cautioned Les Bleus to be wary of the Lions of Teranga, who he said have a lot of quality players and strength to compete against the best.

'No such thing as revenge'

"I have Malian roots, but I’ve represented France for a long time. The goal is to win against Senegal. We saw what happened in 2002," said the former Chelsea midfielder.

"We want a victory, not for revenge, but to get the competition off to a good start and go as far as possible. Senegal is a team with a lot of quality and many strengths.

"Their midfield performed very well (during the AFCON). But they also have attacking and defensive players.

"They have a good balance, which makes Senegal a very difficult team, one to be taken seriously. The match will be decided by many aspects. But I think we have what it takes to compete with Senegal and win this match."

France coach Didier Deschamps said of the 2002 defeat to Senegal: "It’s part of history. I watched the match, but almost all of my players weren’t even born in 2002.

"I know you have this famous word 'revenge', but for me, there’s no such thing as revenge in football, and it happened 24 years ago.

"Good for Senegal for what happened in 2002, but now there’s a new chapter to write. Today we’re going to do everything we can to make sure the result goes our way."

France are a global powerhouse, having won the tournament in 1998 and 2018, while reaching the final in 2006 and 2022, while Senegal have established themselves as one of Africa's top teams, qualifying for four World Cups (2002, 2018, 2022, and 2026).

Kone: France have to 'be ready'

Kante’s teammate Manu Kone said France must be physically ready to deal with Senegal, who have players with pace and always put energy and intensity into their style of play.

"Whatever happens, we have to be ready against Senegal, who are a very good team that puts a lot of energy and intensity into their game," said Kone, who plays for AS Roma.

"They are African champions, and we have to be ready. We have worked well so far, and there are two days left. It is a highly anticipated match for both sides; it is up to us to be ready."

Apart from France, Senegal will also face Norway on June 22nd at New York New Jersey Stadium before winding up their group stage matches against Iraq at Toronto Stadium on June 26th.