France focusing on Faroes, not crunch Ireland match

France coach Raymond Domenech, seen here 17 August 2005, said his side was focused on collecting three points from the 2006 World Cup Group Four qualifier match against the Faroe Islands and not the crucial game four days later against Ireland in Dublin

France coach Raymond Domenech said his side was focused on collecting three points from the 2006 World Cup Group Four qualifier match against the Faroe Islands and not the crucial game four days later against Ireland in Dublin.

"We're talking amongst ourselves and saying: 'Don't mix them up, don't put Ireland before the Faroes'," Domenech said at the French team's training base here on Tuesday.

"We've watched some video of the away match, some moments when we sweated."

France won that match a year ago in Torshavn 2-0, an unimpressive display albeit in the face of a gutsy Faroe performance that Domenech expects to be replicated.

"The Faroes aren't coming to applaud us. They're coming to defend, and try to create an historic surprise."

Striker Djibril Cisse said the game against the Faroes was "as important if not more important" than that against Ireland.

"It's often when you take a match lightly that you get your come-uppance," he said.

Chelsea defender Claude Makelele also towed the party line. "We're thinking only about Saturday," he said.

"There are three points against the Faroes, three points after. We have to take them in the same way. Four victories of 1-0 would suit me down to the ground," said Domenech.

France have the odds stacked against them when they travel to Dublin.

Ireland's only loss to France came back in 1953 and the hosts have won the three World Cup qualifiers played in Dublin.

Ireland presently lead the tight group on 13 points in which four teams are separated by just three points with both France (10pts) and Switzerland (12pts) having a game in hand on the Irish.