Soccer: French credentials tested as qualifying resumes

Ailing former world and European champions France face two testing fixtures as qualifying resumes for the 2006 soccer World Cup this weekend.

There are 17 games on Saturday with a further 21 next Wednesday, by when the identity of those making the trip to Germany should start to become a little clearer.

France's hopes of being among them will not be decided by Saturday's home Group Four match against Switzerland or next week's trip to Israel but failure to take six points would certainly put them under pressure.

The 1998 World Cup winners and 2000 European champions are locked in a three-way tie at the top of the group with Ireland and Israel, who meet in Dublin on Saturday.

Normally, a Stade de France clash with a Swiss team who have won one and drawn two of their opening games would be a straightforward task but these are nervous times for Raymond Domenech's team.

They go into the match on the back of five successive home draws as the coach who took over from Jacques Santini in July still seeks his first home win.

France qualified for Euro 2004 with a 100 per cent record but have already been held to goalless home draws by Israel and Ireland and face an anxious wait over the fitness of leading strikers Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet.

The top two meet in Group One where Romania host the Netherlands. Each team has 10 points but the Dutch have played a game less.

Finland and the Czech Republic, both hard on the leaders' heels on nine points, meet in Teplice.

The top teams also clash in Group Eight as Bulgaria host Sweden. The Swedes have nine points from four games with Bulgaria on seven from three.

Croatia, also on seven, are at home to Iceland.

Italy can strengthen their grip on Group Five with a home win over Scotland but their focus has been diverted by a row over doping tests.

AC Milan's Gennaro Gattuso declined to take an optional blood test after Sunday's Serie A game against AS Roma and although their are no formal sanctions for declining, Italian Football Federation president Franco Carraro has previously said anyone refusing would not be picked for the national side.

Gattuso is in the squad for Saturday's game in Milan and has the backing of coach Marcello Lippi.

England too will expect to emerge in good shape from Group Six after home matches against Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan.

Poland, a point behind England on nine, host the same two sides, in reverse order.

European champions Greece, who took only two points from their first two qualifiers in Group Two, will look to maintain their recovery away to Georgia by making it three wins in a row.

Greece have eight points from five games, with Denmark and Turkey on six and Ukraine clear on 14, both from six matches.

Turkey host Albania and Denmark are at home to Kazakhstan. Ukraine do not play until Wednesday, when they host the Danes.

The big match in Group Seven also comes on Wednesday when leaders Serbia and Montenegro host Spain, who have had a sticky start by their own high qualifying standards and warm up with a Saturday friendly against China.

It is the same situation in Group Three where Portugal (13 points from five games) visit second-placed Slovakia (10 from four) on Wednesday, the Slovaks having been to Estonia on Saturday.

Russia, one of three teams on seven points, will expect to gain ground with away games in Liechtenstein and Estonia.

In South America, leaders Argentina face the always-difficult trip to Bolivia. Bottom of the 10-team qualifying group, the Bolivians nevertheless cause problems for everyone in the thin air of La Paz.

Argentina have 22 points from 11 games, two clear of world champions Brazil, who host Peru.

The battle for the next two automatic qualifying slots remains wide open, with three points separating the next seven teams with seven matches remaining.

The "Big Two" go head to head in the CONCACAF region as Mexico host the United States in the second round of fixtures where the top three qualify automatically from a group of six.

African qualifying resumes after a six-month break with 15 matches. Only the winners of the five groups qualify but the competition will remain intense as the top three in each group go into the 2006 African Nations Cup finals in Egypt.

In Asia, Japan and South Korea are in pole position for the two automatic slots going into awkward trips to Iran and Saudi Arabia respectively.

- REUTERS