Makelele expects France to give Trappatoni Les Bleus

Gary Meenaghan

• Last Updated: November 12. 2009 11:58PM UAE / November 12. 2009 7:58PM GMT

From left, French players Nicolas Anelka, Karim Benzema, Sidney Govou, Thierry Henry and Rod Fanni. Franck Fife / AFP

The former France midfielder Claude Makelele has backed Les Bleus to qualify for the World Cup. What’s more football fans will see a different side if his country reach South Africa next summer, he said.

Raymond Domenech’s team travel to Croke Park tomorrow to face the Republic of Ireland in the first of a two-legged European qualifying play-off.

France failed to secure auto- matic qualification after finishing one point behind Serbia in Group Seven, while Giovanni Trappa- toni’s Ireland finished unbeaten, but second behind world champions Italy in Group Eight after drawing six of their 10 games.

“This will be a difficult game, for sure,” said Makelele, who played for France in the 2006 World Cup final. “I know Ireland will be fighting until the last minute because both teams will want to go to the World Cup, but France have a little advantage if they can win the first game because then there will be less pressure in the second leg.”

France are without Franck Ribery after the inspirational playmaker was ruled out of both legs with a niggling knee injury.

However, while Domenech is likely to start with Barcelona’s Thierry Henry and Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka in attack, Makelele said his country must not rely on individuals and instead play for each other.

“It’s not about just one player, it is a team,” said the 36-year-old, who now dominates the midfield for Paris Saint Germain. “The French players will do everything for their country and if we play like a team we will have far more of a chance of qualifying.

“It is the first World Cup in Africa and it would be special for many of the French players to be there. I know it is difficult because every team wants to go, but all the big teams have qualified and France should be there.”

The French coach Domenech has come in for criticism in recent years due to poor performances in last year’s European Championships that saw them finish of their group in Austria and Switzerland. But Makelele, called out of retirement by his coach to help his team improve, said injuries are to blame rather than poor tactics.

“Sometimes two or three key players have been missing at one time. It is important for these players to play and, yes, they came back, but maybe it was too late [to finish top of the group]. Now, they have do everything they can to qualify and when they do it will be different next year.”

Makelele’s compatriots Eric Abidal and Yoann Gourcuff both expect tough-tackling displays from Ireland and urged their teammates to show discipline and maintain composure.

“It will require a lot of self-control from our part. We must make sure we hold our nerve in order not to hamper the team,” said the left-back Abidal.

Gourcuff added: “We should not forget to play our game and should not get drawn into a physical battle.”



gmeenaghan@thenational.ae