As Del Boy might say: Bonjour, Rodney.

We’re live for another day of World Cup action with another guest on TheScore.ie coach.

After Crafty Ken Doherty, Andy ‘One Punch’ Lee and King of the Podcasts, Jarlath Regan, today 2fm shock jock Paddy McKenna — the only Toffee in Leitrim — joins us for France v Nigeria.

Let’s have your questions…

While Paddy talks about All Saints shirts with one of our commercial team, let’s talk football.

France and Nigeria have kicked off and you can follow it kick by kick here.

So as France get under way against Nigeria let’s talk about the French.

Paddy was there in 2009 at the Stade de France to witness one of the best Irish performances away from home in decades. Ultimately the night ended in controversy with you-know-who handling and Gallas scoring.

But is it time to get behind this Les Blues side?

PMcK: ”This is the first time I can remember watching France and actually liking them since that infamous night in November 2009. Henry gone, Domenech gone and in their place a genuinely likeable Frenchman — the Holy Grail – in Didier Deschamps as manager.

“This picture, below, is hanging in my hallway in my apartment; mostly I walk by it and shake my hand in anger but recently, this World Cup especially I think I might be finally ready to forgive.”

What do you reckon? 

The multi-platform Ciarán Murphy asks:

PMcK: “Yeah without question. A left foot like a kango hammer. Pre Luis Suarez he had the pre-eminent South American gnashers and he scored free kicks like this:

And he’s also been spotted supping pints on Galway’s Shop Street… allegedly”

Nigeria have had the ball in the net but the ref’s ruled it out for offside. While down the other end Pogba forced a great save out of Vincent Enyeama.

“It looked a good goal to be fair at the end of the day. Looked a perfectly good goal, he seemed to be at least in line and you have to give the benefit of the doubt to the attacker. But they never do. Referee’s assistants, eh?”

Follow the game here.

Do you like this retro adidas Brazil jersey? Well you can have it through your door this very week.

We’ve had a chat amongst ourselves and decided who the greatest Nigerian footballer of all time is. We’ve the name written down and Paddy will reveal it at 7pm.

JayJay Okacha, Daniel Amokachi, Finidi George, Rasheed Yekini and Taribo West have all had strong shouts.

So in the comments below, who do you reckon we went for?

Whoever’s victorious at the World Cup, Twitter and Facebook are big winners. From the AFP newswire just now:

“Facebook on Monday said that the World Cup has kicked up more action at the leading social network than any other event in history. More than a billion comments, posts, and “likes” related to World Cup matches have been racked up since the tournament began on June 12, in a level of online conversation never seen before at Facebook, according to the California-based social network. About 220 million people have taken part in the unprecedented online conversation. Knock-out matches that took place during the weekend pushed the overall number of “interactions” at Facebook past a billion.”

There’s not much love for the French yet. It’s only been the five years since Paris, in fairness.

Nigeria should definitely had a penalty there; Brian Kerr is doing his nut as he’d say himself.

Our man in Brazil, Mikey Stafford, was up past his bed time last night after the Costa Rica penalty shoot-out win. But he’s surfaced and is looking ahead to his trip to Rio.

“I forgave Thierry Henry and the French before himself and Richard Dunne stood up off the Stade de France turf after their cozy chat. Stuff happens in sport and sometimes it stings. Certain elements proceeded to embarrass themselves by harping on about it. Anyway, fans of Schaudenfreude will have got all the retribution they required from the Nicolas Anelka farce in South Africa. Sure, we wouldn’t have gone on strike like Patrice and the lads, but as we showed at Euro 2012, 100% application didn’t turn us into world beater either. I do like Paddy’s framed l’Equipe though. But not as much as I like that France kit, c’est magnifique.”

We’ve had a couple of shouts for the best Nigerian player ever… and we have our answer ready for 7pm.

Sunday Oliseh and Kanu?

PMcK: “I can understand the love for Oliseh, a CM01/02 stalwart. Guaranteed 20 goals from midfield every season.”

Last night, thanks to our friends at Budweiser, we gave away a Sony XPeria tablet to one reader who guessed when the final goal of the Costa Rica-Greece game. Hopefully, it doesn’t get ‘lost in the post’ now.

Right! Keep your best Nigerian player ever suggestions coming. We’ll give away the jersey in an hour.

“Kanu. If only for the laughs his first name gave me as a kid.” writes Eoghan Glynn. What do you reckon?

Right, let’s talk punditry.

PMcK: “It’s been a vintage World Cup for football but also for the punditry. This picture sums up RTÉ’s tournament coverage which has been compelling for a number of different reasons.

“Nobody does disdain like Kenny Cunningham and the needle between himself and Dunphy has been must-watch telly.

“Meanwhile, in the middle the actual best pundit on any channel has a look that says ‘this wouldn’t happen on German TV’. Awkward.”

“Whatever you think about Dunphy, he is once again what everyone is talking about off the field. Although do not rely on him for tips after his backing of Chile to win the tournament outright before they were knocked out.”

As of last night his latest tip is Belgium, so expect USA to make the quarter-finals tomorrow night.

What have you made of the punditry over the past few weeks?

The Kings of Leon are in Dublin and they’re watching football.

Mikey in Brazil writes: “It just occurred to me that Victor Moses has lasted much longer at this World Cup than England. Remember that tug-of-love that sprung up between Nigeria and England when the promising Wigan forward transferred to Chelsea before eventually stumping for the land of his birth over the nation he represented all the way through underage level? Now the lad who spent last season on Liverpool bench is on verge of World Cup quarter-final. Funny old game etc etc etc.”

Hey everyone! Luis Suarez has said sorry.

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How did Matuidi get away with this?
https://vine.co/v/MFtpg1Wl2gt

What have you made of the ITV punditry and their big-money beach production? 

PMcK: “I don’t think this vista is what Barry Manilow had in mind when he sang Copacabana. As someone on Twitter said the other night as Chiles and Co were beachside in their shorts and sandals, Martin O’Neill looks like a very nervous accountant at a swingers party.”

© ITV © ITV

“Overall, they’ve put together a massive production with some solid performances from Marty and I have to say Vieira. But Lee Dixon and Adrian Chiles are… difficult to watch?”

As France hit the bar after 75 minutes  with a sweetly-struck Cabaye effort, once again the new goal-line technology proves its worth.

PMcK: “It’s really eliminated all the fakey-wakey appeals from players when those incidents pop up. They just know straight away one way or the other.”

France are turning the screw here.

Paul Pogba’s gone and scored for France after a flap from the Nigeria ‘keeper.

Here’s some Blair Witch quality footage:
https://vine.co/v/MFtxp7d3DP0

Do you meet our new hero Paul Marron last night?

We started out this afternoon talking about the French and our relationship with them. Les Bleus have scored a late second and are on the brink of a place in the last-eight. What does this result and performance mean for Deschamps side?

PMCK: “It wasn’t a great game but I think it proves that the French are going to be a very hard team to stop at this World Cup. The biggest problem historically for France is complacency and it wasn’t on display tonight. Germany (probably) will be a completely different test but I fancy them because they’re still coming in under the radar.

“I’m just glad I’ve made peace with the idea that the country that gave us Henry could win this World Cup.”

Shout out to Gary Collins, meanwhile, last night’s competition winner who’s been in contact to claim his tablet. Happy tabletting, Collinsy.

DRUMROLL PLEASE! None of you clowns had Jay Jay Okacha — which is the correct answer — in the best Nigerian player ever competition.

Eoghan Glynn wins for best answer though. Get in touch.

Thanks for your company this evening. We’ve given Mikey Stafford the night off and he plans to eat ‘some meat on a stick and have some beer’ before he heads to Rio tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Paddy’s leaving us but we’ll be here all night with the rest of the night’s football action.  What’s his prediction for the tournament winner?

“I have to stick with my pre-tourney double which is Brazil to beat Argentina in the final with Neymar top scorer.”

Duly noted.