France bid au revoir as South Africa show pride

Though both teams are knocked out of the World Cup, the hosts can at least leave with their dignity still intact.

Djibril Cisse, the France striker, holds his head after the sending off of teammate Yoann Gourcuff.

BLOEMFONTEIN // Though both these teams exited the tournament yesterday, only one left with their dignity still intact. South Africa became the first World Cup host nation to fail to advance from the first round, but go out on goal difference after playing some delightful football to beat France 2-1. Their opponents leave Africa with their tails between their legs, having been jeered by their own supporters, and with the nation's football reputation in tatters.

The French squad's refusal to train on Sunday, in protest at Nicolas Anelka's expulsion from the squad for an expletive-laced tirade against Raymond Domenech, the manager, at half time of the 2-0 loss to Mexico, led to them being branded "imbeciles" by their beleaguered coach. Roselyne Bachelot, the French sports minister, told the players before the match that they had tarnished the nation's image.

Domenech made six changes from the line-up that lost to Mexico, Patrice Evra, the captain, among them, but the new-look side did little to restore any pride against a side ranked 83 in the world. Yoann Gourcuff was sent off for an elbow on Macbeth Sibaya in the first half and the 1998 World Cup winners and 2006 finalists finished bottom of the group, just as they did in Euro 2008. "I'm sad for all the fans and everyone who support the French team," Domenech said. "It's the hard and harsh reality of our situation. So I have a genuine sense of sadness.

"We wasted too much energy [in the events preceding the match]. It is not the time for settling accounts. "A word for the French people? Just to say that I am sad, that this team has real potential. I wish good luck to my successor. "I love the France team. It will not die, it will continue forever. It has all the ingredients to succeed." Evra said Domenech denied him the chance to apologise to French fans for the team's World Cup debacle, and dropped him for "no valid reason", adding "what hurts even more is that this apology should have been made yesterday, but my coach stopped me doing it as a captain".

Clearly emotional and struggling to contain his anger, Evra said: "France will know the truth. I will say everything I went through as captain." Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela scored a goal each in the first half for the hosts before Florent Malouda pulled one back for the French in the 70th, but it is Uruguay and Mexico who advance from Group A. Mexico finished level on points with the hosts, but were three goals better off

"Of course we're disappointed we did not qualify but I do not consider this a failure," said Carlos Alberto Parreira, the South Africa coach. "I believe the whole country is proud. "Everyone knows and sees this group was one of the toughest groups in the World Cup. Then we just didn't qualify because of our goal difference. With a little bit of luck, we should have qualified." * AP