France, SA in face-saving clash

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP):

France and South Africa head into their final World Cup group game today desperately trying to save national pride, and with only an outside chance of qualifying for the next round.

Neither have won a game yet and both have the weight of their nations on their shoulders.

South Africa's 3-0 loss to Uruguay in their previous game disappointed home fans and left the team staring at the very real prospect of being the first-ever host nation not to get out of the group stages at a World Cup.

As deep as Bafana Bafana's problems are, they are insignificant compared to the strife in the French camp.

A listless draw against Uruguay was followed by defeat by Mexico. Striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home for publicly criticising coach Raymond Domenech, and the squad then went on strike, refusing to train on Sunday in protest.

"I should be in my room relaxing, but it's not at all like that. That's why I'm sad," France captain Patrice Evra said. "You're a top level player and you can't qualify for the second round of a major tournament? It's unacceptable."

Both teams must win to stand a chance of qualifying, while hoping that Mexico and Uruguay do not draw Group A's simultaneous other game.

Victory is perhaps even more paramount for France, whose reputation has been stained by two days of turmoil which exposed huge rifts within the squad.

"There is no authority left in the French team. There's no pilot in the airplane," former France defender Bixente Lizarazu said in a scathing assessment of Domenech on French television. "We're in a lunatic asylum at the moment, I can't wait to be done with the French team so that we can look ahead to the real World Cup, the one which interests us."

The tension is so unbearable among the players, Domenech, team officials, politicians and media, that only a win can save any face. The squabbling has even brought to the attention of President Nicolas Sarkozy, and could yet continue.

Domenech has to decide whether or not to keep Evra as his captain after he led Sunday's boycott of training, and how to motivate a team which had little confidence in him before the fracas erupted, and none whatsoever now.

The seeds of the French demise were sown at half-time during the loss to Mexico when France striker Nicolas Anelka exploded with rage and launched an expletive-filled tirade at Domenech for questioning his performance.

The bust-up was leaked to sports daily L'Equipe, which printed the words on its front page last Saturday.

Anelka was sent home against the wishes of the players, who then used Sunday's public training as a platform to protest against Anelka's exclusion - snubbing 200 local fans in the process.

One French Football Federation official was so angry at the protest that he stormed off, telling reporters he was resigning, while Evra led the players into the team bus, drew the curtains and hid his mutineers from the nation's glare.

Fitness coach alteration

Evra also had an altercation with Domenech's fitness coach, Robert Duverne, forcing Domenech to intervene. Less than an hour later, Domenech was reading out a script on behalf of the players, explaining their reasons for not training.

Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot said "the indignation of the French" was enormous back home and that she had spoken to Sarkozy about it to stem the wave of ridicule from engulfing the nation.

Problems on the field are also complex.

France have only scored one goal in the past five games of major tournaments and must rediscover their scoring touch without Anelka, and with the national team's record scorer Thierry Henry rusty after sitting on the bench.

South Africa's team spirit is strong, despite the loss to Uruguay, according to forward Teko Modise.

"For us it's about honour, we really want to do well against France," he said.

The lack of unity within the French ranks could expose them, because "they need to gel, they need to start playing like a team," Modise added.