Anelka given the boot. Not the golden one.

[Michel Kane]

Obviously, but it's going to be an interesting game nonetheless.

[Michel Kane]

WAIT!

It's just registering.

The FFF snaked us!?

THAT's MADNESS.

[TF S4DK]

No sh*t rudeboy, lol.

[Hernandez Balcazar]

bwahahahhaha

[Michel Kane]

Franck Ribery made an emotional attempt to quash the rumours surrounding the embattled France team during an unscheduled appearance live on French television on Sunday morning.

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France's national soccer team player Franck Ribery takes a break during a training session in Knysna, near Cape Town.

France's national soccer team player Franck Ribery takes a break during a training session in Knysna, near Cape Town.

Photograph by: CHARLES PLATIAU

Credit: Reuters

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The 2006 finalists are on the verge of World Cup elimination after a 2-0 defeat to Mexico on Thursday and scrutiny of the squad has intensified after Nicolas Anelka was sent home for rowing with coach Raymond Domenech.

Ribery played poorly in a central attacking role against Mexico after regular playmaker Yoann Gourcuff was dropped to the bench.

There were media reports the pair had to be pulled apart after clashing on the plane carrying the team back to their base following the game, but Ribery described the stories as “nonsense”.

“I have no problem with Yoann. Saying I fought with him is nonsense,” said the Bayern Munich star, who was handed a microphone after appearing on the set of TF1’s Telefoot programme here in the middle of a live interview with Domenech on Sunday morning.

Ribery, who spoke in a trembling voice and appeared close to tears at times, confirmed that the Mexico defeat had been keenly felt by the France squad.

“Of course, (the team) fell apart,” he said.

“It’s France that’s suffering, our country. I’m talking from the heart. I’m suffering. Everyone in the world is laughing at us. I’m pissed off because we’re not playing football anymore.

“The France team is a childhood dream, it’s an honour, and since Euro 2008 (when France were eliminated in the group phase) I’ve been suffering.”

France were roundly criticised for a tepid showing against Mexico and Ribery accepted that their performance had not been sufficient.

“We weren’t good, we didn’t sweat like we should have done,” he said.

“We were feeling good before, against Uruguay (0-0), but we tried to do things individually. I want to apologise to all the French people for not having giving them the World Cup they hoped for.”

France captain Patrice Evra had on Saturday downplayed the significance of Anelka’s outburst and said the squad were more concerned by the presence of a “traitor” in the camp leaking information to the press.

French sport daily L’Equipe had published details of Anelka’s row with Domenech in their Saturday edition, alleging that the Chelsea striker had told his coach: “Go and screw yourself, you son of a whore.”

“A traitor has revealed too many things and we’ll be relieved when we know who it is,” said Ribery, whose preparations for the World Cup were rocked by allegations he had sex with an under-age prostitute.

Ribery also denied that former France great Zinedine Zidane had any influence over team selection and said that he himself had never sought to change Domenech’s thinking on tactical matters.

To stand any chance of qualifying for the next round, France must beat hosts South Africa by four goals in their final Group A game on Tuesday and hope the match between Mexico and Uruguay does not result in a draw.

“We’ll do everything to win,” said Ribery.

[Michel Kane]

PMSL

President Sarlozy is getting involved.

PARIS - French politicians from the president down plus a string of former football greats led a chorus of dismay on Sunday as France's World Cup campaign threatened to implode after an extraordinary training boycott.

President Nicolas Sarkozy asked his sports minister in South Africa to prolong her stay to speak to the captain, coach and head of the French Football Federation (FFF) to calm the situation before Tuesday's final Group A game against South Africa.

The French team walked out from a public training session over the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka a day earlier for crudely insulting coach Raymond Domenech during their surprise 2-0 defeat by Mexico on Thursday.

Sunday's walkout led to a furious row between captain Patrice Evra and a fitness coach and the resignation of a senior official, team director and FFF managing director Jean-Louis Valentin.

France are unlikely in any case to qualify for the second round of the tournament following the defeat by Mexico.

'TAKING NOTE'

Sports minister Roselyne Bachelot said President Sarkozy had asked her to meet Evra, Domenech and the head of the French Football Federation, Jean-Pierre Escalettes, on Monday.

"He (Sarkozy) like me, we are taking note of the indignation of the French people and ... calling for dignity and responsibility," she told TFI television.

Asked whether there would be penalties over the episode, she said: "It's not yet the right time to take disciplinary action but that time will come very soon."

Economy Minister Christine Lagarde, formerly a member of the national synchronised swimming team, slammed the boycott which players said was out of solidarity with Anelka.

"I am appalled. I am appalled because I have worn the French national colours as you know, and when you wear the French national colours you have added responsibilities," she told LCI television.

"The first (responsibility) is to be the best possible in sport, but also to be exemplary because you are watched. There are young children, young adolescents who practise the sport and look to you as an example," she added.

France's former football greats also slammed the team's behaviour.

"It's intolerable. It's not at all professional," Emmanuel Petit, a former French international who scored in France's 1998 World Cup final win over Brazil, told France 2 television.

"It's sad, it's shameful, it's pathetic," Alain Giresse, another former French international, told the same station.

Bixente Lizarazu, also a member of the victorious French World Cup and European Championship-winning teams of 1998 and 2002, added his voice to the criticism.

"Nobody has their sang froid any more in this team and everyone is blowing up ... This shows that no one has any authority over the French team any longer and that's very serious," he told RTL radio.

[Risky]

Felt to add this too

Sulley Muntari's World Cup has gone from bad to worse after he was ordered out of the Ghana camp by Black Stars coach Milovan Rajevac, KickOffGhana.com can exclusively reveal.

The Inter Milan player has cast a gloomy figure throughout Ghana's stay here after he lost his regular place in the side but things came to a head after the Ghana-Australia 1-1 draw on Saturday when Muntari felt he should have had a bigger role.

KickOffGhana.com understands Rajevac felt insulted by the player's protest and on Sunday night asked team manager Opoku Afriyie to facilitate his departure from the camp.

Senior Ghana Football Association officials including President Kwasi Nyantekyie and captain Stephen Appiah have tried to intervene but Rajevac has made it clear he cannot work with the player.

Muntari stayed over at the Sun City hotel base of the Ghana team on Sunday night but there is no indication yet if he will have any further part to play in Ghana's campaign.

Rajevac and Muntari have had a frosty relationship and it all now seems to be coming to a head at this tournament.

The midfielder was omitted from Ghana's 2010 Nations Cup squad after refusing to meet Rajevac twice during visits to Milan. He was reinstated after apologising to the coach before scoring on his return against Bosnia in a friendly.

But his problems began again when he asked to be given a separate room during Ghana's friendly against Holland contrary to the practice in the team before attempting to seek medical attention without consulting the Ghana medical team when they arrived in London for a friendly ahead of the World Cup.

On Saturday, the player who was also sent home from the 2004 Olympics stormed off through the mixed zone after the draw against Australia with frown on his face and was said to have had a go at Rajevac and the team on the coach drawing a response from at least one member of the squad.

not really a big loss..he brought nothing but cancer 2 the team

[Captain Planet]

GOOD

HATE THE UGLY c*nt

IVE ALWAYS SAID IT HE'S A MESS

HIM AND MAURO CAN GO f*ck THEMSELVES

[Drift]

ffs... muntaris from the northern region alie? these f*ck*ng people.

[Captain Planet]

Hes not u know, I thought so aswell, he's from Ashanti region

[Drift]

something wrong with him, had too many fallouts with the national team.

[Mr Q]

Players are losing the plot, need to be put in their places.

[Risky]

Evra gettin benched tomorrow cuz he didnt show up at the press conference today??

beg someone come with the latest news...im not sure if these presentators are gassin or what

[darkman]

France coach Raymond Domenech described his players on Monday as acting like imbeciles in protesting against Nicolas Anelka's expulsion by refusing to train only two days before the match that decides their World Cup future.

"I tried to convince them that what they were doing was an aberration, an imbecility, a stupidity without name," Domenech said of Sunday's strike.

France plays South Africa on Tuesday in a Group A match it needs to win to stand a chance of advancing. It also requires a winner in the Mexico-Uruguay game to avoid a repeat of the 2008 European Championship, when it went out in the first round.

Patrice Evra's role as captain could be over after only five games, with Domenech refusing to confirm him as his leader after the defender initiated the player walkout.

"I haven't picked the team yet, we will see tomorrow," Domenech said.

Evra was furious at the French Football federation's decision to send Anelka home late Saturday, amid claims from the players that the FFF denied Anelka a chance to give his side of the argument at a media conference.

Having initially said he understood his players' frustration and that what Anelka said - although abusive - was something which happens within the dressing room, Domenech did a complete turnaround on Monday.

"First of all, I would like to specify that the punishment that was handed out to Nicolas Anelka is justified," Domenech said. "I support the federation in this matter. No one can permit themselves to act like that, either in the dressing room or elsewhere."

The day after his tirade against Domenech - which happened at halftime during Thursday's 2-0 defeat to Mexico - Anelka trained as normal with the squad. He was sent home the next evening by the FFF after details of the clash were splashed across the front page of sports daily L'Equipe, including the expletives Anelka allegedly used.

lol

[Trilliam]

lmao bars.

[Michel Kane]

lmao bars.

[Agony]

lmao bars.

[Bardissimo]

i'm hearing talk of them boycotting the mexico match

lulz

[TF S4DK]

If you go on strike in a World Cup, then you better retire from international ball.

[Francis Coquelin]

Hes not u know, I thought so aswell, he's from Ashanti region

snm

[Captain Planet]

Aren't you Twi aswell though?

Need some Ewe Volta region niggas back up in this bitch, we will give 100% even on mimimum wage.

[TF S4DK]

Didnt leave/get booted anyway.