Oldies Zidane, Thuram and Makelele return to help France

LONDON: France won the World Cup in 1998, then was eliminated after the first round four years later. This time round, the French are scrambling just to qualify for the 2006 Finals. 

France have 10 points from six matches and lie in fourth place in Europe's Group 4. They host minnows Faroe Islands in Lens today, then travel to Dublin to face Ireland next Wednesday. Ireland, the group leaders, have three more points than France but have played an extra game and are idle today. 

Only the group winners qualify automatically for next summer's championship in Germany. 

“The risk is to think of the second match while we are playing the first,'' France coach Raymond Domenech said. “We can't afford any mistakes.'' 

Domenech welcomes back Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele for their first competitive matches since coming out of international retirement. 

“When I made my decision, I thought we had enough players, that I did not need to come back,'' said Thuram, who was also part of France's 2000 European Championship-winning side. “The French team is in such a position that I could not refuse a callup.'' 

OLD HANDS: Zinedine Zidane (right) training with fellow old timer Patrick Vieira for today’s World Cup qualifieragainst Faroe Island. Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele will be playing their first competitivematch since coming our of retirement.

Israel are one of the reasons France are fighting to qualify. 

The two drew 0-0 in France a year ago and 1-1 in Tel Aviv in March, giving Israel a strong chance of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since their only appearance in 1970. 

Israel play Switzerland in Basel today. Switzerland are second with 12 points from six games, and Israel third with 11 points from seven. Israel's remaining matches are home-and-away against the Faroe Islands. 

“We came out of nowhere,'' Israel coach Avraham Grant said. “We just want this dream to continue.'' 

Israel and Switzerland drew 2-2 in Tel Aviv last October. The Swiss have missed out on the last two World Cups. 

Ukraine, led by AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko, need a win over Georgia to become the first European country to qualify for the World Cup, with two matches to spare. It would mark the first World Cup appearance for Ukraine, a former Soviet republic which became independent in 1991. 

Today's game will be played in an empty stadium in Tblisi. FIFA ordered Georgia to play their two remaining group games behind closed doors because fans threw fireworks onto the field during qualifying matches against Greece and Turkey. 

“Football without someone watching is not football,'' said Ukraine coach Oleh Blokhin. 

Ukraine, who have never qualified for a major championship, are unbeaten in nine qualifying games (seven wins and two draws) and hold a seven-point lead over Turkey in Group 2. European champion Greece are a further point back, with Denmark in fourth. 

“Although they say that sports is not politics, it would be a tremendous success for our young country,'' Blokhin said. 

Turkey have to beat Denmark at home and hope Ukraine lose. 

Only the eight group winners and top two runners-up are guaranteed of making it to the June 9-July 9 Finals in Germany. The other six runners-up go into playoffs to decide the final three spots in the 32-team tournament. 

Three-time champion Italy could be the next European team through. 

Marcello Lippi's side go to Scotland with a four-point lead in Group 5. The second- and third-place teams, Slovenia and Norway, face each other. 

With another round of games to follow next Wednesday, Lippi's team could wind up six points clear with just two games to go. That would all but clinch a place in the Finals for the 12th time in a row.