GEORGIA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Confident Georgians hope to catch France off guard in Euro 2008 soccer qualifiers

New Georgia manager Klaus Toppmoeller has warned World Cup finalists France not to underestimate his team in their Euro 2008 qualifier on Saturday (September 2). Shortly after taking charge of Georgia at the end of last year the German coach said his main goal was to qualify the former Soviet republic for their first major championship. "There is no doubt that (Willy) Sagnol, (Liliam) Thuram, (William) Gallas, (Eric) Abidal in their defence line as well as two key midfielders (Patrick) Vieira and (Claude) Makelele are world class football players. That's why we give the role of favourites in this game to the French," Toppmoeller told a news conference at Georgia's training centre in Tbilisi on Thursday (August 31). Georgia were drawn in Group B along with world champions Italy, France, World Cup quarter-finalists Ukraine, Scotland, Lithuania and the Faroe Islands. "It's a dream, that's the words of Martin Luther King, and I think we have in Italy and France, the two best teams in the world; and the other team (in Group B) is Ukraine, which was in the eight best teams in the World Cup. But we will try our best," Toppmoeller told Reuters. The Georgians got a flying start in their qualifying campaign, thrashing Faroe Islands 6-0 in their opener two weeks ago. It was Georgia's biggest victory in a competitive match since making their international debut as an independent country 12 years ago. Toppmoeller, Germany's coach of the year in 2002 after taking Bayer Leverkusen to the Champions League final, plans to catch France off guard. Toppmoeller's main worry is in defence with fullbacks Kakha Kaladze and Levan Tskitishvili injured. Levan Kobiashvili, stand-in captain for Kaladze, echoed the coach's view. "France is without any doubt a favourite in this game. But our main goal is to prove that we are a united team, and we have been saying it enough times in front of the cameras," the Schalke 04 midfielder told reporters. Saturday's Group B encounter will be played at the newly renovated Boris Paichadze National Stadium in Tbilisi. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili officially opened the stadium at a ceremony on Wednesday (August 30) night. He did not make any reference to Saturday's match, but instead made a patriotic call for Georgian unity. "We have gone through many battles; but many battles and many victories are still ahead. Our biggest victory - restoration of the unity of our country - is ahead (of us)," Saakashvili told crowds at the stadium, moments after a military helicopter dropped footballs on to the newly laid turf.

ITN Source | September 1, 2006

Tags:. .injured. .eric. .championship. .germanys. .worry