14 November 2009 - 23H37
France beat Ireland 1-0 in World Cup qualification playoff
France beat Ireland 1-0 in the World Cup qualification playoff in Dublin's Croke Park stadium, thanks to striker Nicolas Anelka's deflected second-half goal.
By News Wires (text)
REUTERS - France will take a 1-0 World Cup qualification playoff lead over Ireland to Paris for next week's return after striker Nicolas Anelka's deflected second-half goal handed the visitors victory in Saturday's first leg.
France, world champions in 1998 and finalists last time out, eventually shaded proceedings at a packed Croke Park before silencing the home crowd when Anelka's 72nd minute shot spun cruelly in off defender Sean St. Ledger and then the post.
In an even and free-flowing first half, France striker Andre-Pierre Gignac had a goal correctly disallowed for offside while Ireland's Robbie Keane also went close, though his effort would also have been harshly ruled out for a foul.
France's Lassana Diarra was nearly on target in the second period but Giovanni Trapattoni's hard-working Irish side will not be totally dispirited, having at least kept the tie alive going into Wednesday's deciding leg.
Related Content
SPORT - latest sports news report, from football to rugby. View sports video, get F1, tennis and cycling results
AFP
Andy Murray kicked off his bid to win the ATP World Tour Finals on home turf with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory over US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in London on Sunday.Murray gave the near-capacity crowd of 17,500 at the 02 Arena exactly what they
YouTube assault video worsens Somali reputation
Stay tuned
Comments
Henry Maradona
France is qualified with a henru hand. Ireland in the two games was the best team. Is all the same. Fifa and Uefa helpest all the sames, the sharps. Ireland deserved to be in South Africa.helder,são miguel,açores
football
If the Irish government and people thought about the problems their country has at the moment instead of crying their eyes out out over a game of football they would be far better off. Get over it you Irish and you will be far better off
Greeting
it was a good results for france, hope things will be better with france to south africa 2010
from mamadou y jalloh
Les Bleus
They should have won by a larger margin than that with so many opportunities to score. But they did look good.
Post new comment