SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: WORLD CUP 2010: France arrive back at base camp after World Cup exit

Record ID: 455157

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: WORLD CUP 2010: France arrive back at base camp after World Cup exit
  • Date: 23rd June 2010
  • Summary: GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 22, 2010) (REUTERS) AIRPORT SECURITY DEPLOYING ON TARMAC AHEAD OF FRANCE TEAM ARRIVAL PLANE TAXIING ON TARMAC POLICE AIRPORT WORKER SIGNALLING FRANCE COACH RAYMOND DOMENECH DISEMBARKING FROM PLANE/ WALKS TO BUS AND GETS ON MIDFIELDER YOANN GOURCUFF DISEMBARKING FROM PLANE GOALKEEPER HUGO LLORIS STEPPING DOWN FROM AIRCRAFT/ WALKS TO BUS DOMENECH INSIDE BUS MIDFIELDER FLORENT MALOUDA DISEMBARKING FROM PLANE/ GETS ON BUS PLAYERS INSIDE BUS FORWARD FRANCK RIBERY WALKING TO BUS CAPTAIN PATRICE EVRA WALKING TO BUS BUS DRIVING AWAY
  • Embargoed: 8th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA1536PZ8YIDNFXTLEWQAXE2MFY
  • Story Text: France's scandal-hit national soccer team headed back to their training camp on Tuesday (June 22), just hours after crashing out of the World Cup following their Group A 2-1 defeat by South Africa.
    The troubled squad, whose World Cup campaign has been embroiled in controversy, arrived at George airport en route to Knysna, where they have their training ground. They arrived without some members of the squad, including forward Thierry Henry.
    Although South Africa heaped pain on France in their clash on Tuesday, the hosts' 2-1 win was not enough to save them from becoming the first hosts to go out of a World Cup at the opening stage.
    While France go home and South Africa bow out of their own party, Uruguay and Mexico both marched into the second round after the former won 1-0 in the other Group A match.
    That put Uruguay top of the group with seven points, while Mexico went through over South Africa on goal difference, and France came bottom with just one point.
    South Africa's unwanted record as the first hosts to exit at the start was tempered by an uplifting final performance from Bafana Bafana (The Boys) that left their vuvuzela-blowing fans smiling in Bloemfontein's Free State stadium.
    For France, runners-up at the last World Cup and winners in 1998, it could hardly have been a worse tournament.
    They will return to a savaging from the French public and media after not only coming bottom of a group they were favourites to win, but also creating an unseemly side-show with their protests at the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka.
    President Nicolas Sarkozy even sent his sports minister Roselyne Bachelot to try and put order into the French camp, after players boycotted one training session in support of Anelka, who had refused to apologize for insulting his coach. Yet it was in vain.
    Revolt leader and captain Patrice Evra was left out of the side on Tuesday, and France looked shell-shocked even before Yoann Gourcuff was sent off after 25 minutes.
    Their implosion has brought soul-searching at home, with some saying it reflected deep weaknesses of materialistic modern society.
    Team sponsors have begun running for the door.
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