| They didn't just think, they knew, that they could win a | | | | with no real effectiveness. Everything seemed to be |
| second straight World Cup. Even though their star | | | | on Senegal's side as they beat of wave or wave of |
| playmaker Zinedine Zidane who had scored two goals | | | | French attacks. Thierry Hendry and Christophe |
| in the World Cup final in 1998 was liable to be out | | | | Dugarry both managed to hit the woodwork twice and |
| injured for the group stages, so convinced were | | | | the Senegal captain Aliou Cisse played the game of |
| France that they would glide through these games that | | | | his life to keep the French at bay till the referee blew |
| they didn't break sweat about Zidane's absence, | | | | his final whistle to signal a history victory for Senegal. It |
| especially for the opening game in Seoul, against lowly | | | | was obvious that the French had totally underrated the |
| Senegal. | | | | Senegalese team who had finished as runners up in |
| After all Senegal were taking part in their first ever | | | | the African championships just a few months before. |
| World Cup and were supposed to be there just to | | | | Instead of making a dramatic recovery in their |
| make up the numbers. So as the game kicked off, | | | | remaining games, things went from bad to worse for |
| France, looking good in their light blue soccer uniforms | | | | France in the remaining group stage games. In their |
| swarmed all over the Senegalese goal, as the fans | | | | second game, France were held to a goalless draw |
| sat back expecting a goal feast. So intent were the | | | | by Uruguay and had their star striker Thierry Henry |
| French players in putting on a show that they seemed | | | | sent off to make things even more difficult for them in |
| to want to walk the ball into the net, and instead fell | | | | their vital third game against Denmark. On the upside, |
| over themselves as the heat and humidity of a Seoul | | | | Zidane was ready to take part in this game, but he |
| summer night began to take its toll. | | | | made little impact to the disorganized and demoralized |
| And even more annoying a young and gifted player | | | | "Les Bleus" The 2-0 defeat by Denmark saw France |
| who was embarking on a successful career in all | | | | make an embarrassing exit from World Cup 2002, |
| places but the French League with Lens was creating | | | | without managing to score a goal and with the only title |
| havoc on both wings, as the Senegalese began to | | | | they won being the worst World Cup performance by |
| launch some pretty effective counter attacking moves. | | | | a defending champion. And as for "lowly" Senegal they |
| That young man was El Hadji Diouf and he had the | | | | made it to the quarter finals, drawing with both |
| Senegalese supports and most of the neutrals on their | | | | Uruguay and Denmark in the group stages, beating |
| feet in the thirtieth minute when yet another telling | | | | Sweden after extra time, and losing to Turkey by just |
| cross was converted by his Lens teammate Papa | | | | a single goal, also after extra time. El Hadji Diouf was |
| Bouba Diop, after a misunderstanding between | | | | the outstanding player for Senegal in 2002 and won |
| Emmanuel Petit and the French goalkeeper Fabien | | | | himself a transfer to Liverpool as a result. And the |
| Barthez. | | | | French learned a valuable lesson - never to take the |
| The French didn't seem to be that phased by going a | | | | opposition for granted. |
| goal down, and they again took up their attacking pose | | | | |