The Road to South Africa

Tortuous and controversial. Perhaps the story of French qualification for South Africa should not be about Henry's handball but the fact that one of the great powers of world football should have needed a play-off. France only lost one match in qualification – the 3-1 defeat to Austria in Vienna in the opening round. However, it was followed by a series of defiantly underwhelming performances. Raymond Domenech's side failed to beat Romania home or away and could only scrape a 1-0 victory against Lithuania in the Stade de France. The group, won by Serbia, was tricky but the French made it appear something vastly complex. Their display in Dublin in the first leg of the qualifiers was efficient enough but once Henry began playing basketball, all that was forgotten.

The Star Players

Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) For all the grand sweep of his career, switching from London to Madrid, Paris and Istanbul – and Bolton – this will be the first World Cup the enigmatic striker will have played in. Happily, he has never been in better form.

Hugo Lloris (Lyon) One thing the Henry handball did was to completely overshadow an exceptional display by France's young and wonderfully exciting keeper. While the 2006 tournament was marred by a dispute between Fabien Barthez and Gregory Coupet as to who should keep goal, Lloris seems unchallenged.

Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich) Perhaps the most exciting player in Domenech's side and a footballer who can torment defences. He was one of the stars of the 2006 campaign and his loss through injury darkened a dismal Euro 2008.

The Coach

Raymond DomenechFor a man who improbably led France to within a penalty shoot-out of winning the World Cup four years ago, Domenech's stock has fallen even more rapidly than his team. The warning signs were there in Euro 2008 as France slunk out of the tournament and Domenech stunned everyone by proposing to his girlfriend live on air. During the emphatic 2-0 defeat by Spain in the Stade de France, the crowd were openly calling on him to be sacked. However, Domenech puts much store by astrology and he would recall similar abuse about his tactics and directionless displays before the 2006 tournament where he confounded every expectation.

Honours

World Cup: Winners 1998. Finalists 2006. Semi-finalists 1958, 1982, 1986
European Championship: Winners 1984, 2000
Confederations Cup: Winners 2001, 2003

Analysis

Were France in a tougher group, there might be real fears as to whether they will make it to the knockout stages at all. It is not that France are collectively a bad side, it is that they are so much less than the sum of their parts. Jean Alain Boumsong proved pretty conclusively at Newcastle that he is no kind of central defender and Patrick Vieira does not seem a natural leader of Les Bleus at 33. There is a serious question mark over the coach, whose self-belief is echoed by almost nobody else in French football. And yet there is surely too much talent here for a repeat of the debacle of 2002 in Korea, who remain their likeliest opponents in the first knockout round. And should the South Koreans be overcome, their likeliest quarter final opponents will be England in Johannesburg. England look the better team but France have the experience of winning big.

Verdict

Squad (3.5/5)
Maybe it is the absence of Zinedine Zidane, but there is not the same sense of awe about the personnel. Euro 2008 marked the end of a great era in French football and, despite the brilliance of Ribery and Benzema, their successors sometimes look second rate.

Coach (2/5)
A harsh verdict for a man who so stunningly confounded the sceptics in Germany but the catastrophe of Euro 2008 should have been the signal for Raymond Domenech to leave the football stage and concentrate on his passion for amateur dramatics.

Attack (3.5/5)
The three-pronged strike force of Henry, Anelka and Ribery not only looks long in the tooth, it has failed to produce very much. However, the talent is there and if it can be marshalled, it could be very effective.

Defence (3/5)
If Hugo Lloris in goal and Patrice Evra at left back represent class in a World Cup, it is hard to say the same about Boumsong or Julien Escude while Vieira does not offer the protection he once did.