MTNFootball

June 11, 2010

France and Uruguay played out a disappointing 0-0 draw in their opening Group A match at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Cape Town on Friday night.

The result means that all four sides in Group A have one point after the first round of matches following the thrilling 1-1 draw between South Africa and Mexico at Soccer City earlier in the day.

The match was expected to be a fascinating encounter between two attacking sides, but in the end it turned out to be a scrappy affair that saw the South Americans end the game with 10 men fowlloing the late dismissal of Nicolas Lodeiro.

France should have been ahead inside six minute but Sidney Govou somehow managed to put Franck Ribery's cross wide of goal from four-yards out.

Diego Forlan tested the palms of French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from the edge of the area, but his curling effort was beaten to safety.

Yoann Gourcuff tried his luck with a freekick from an audacious angle that was headed for the top-corner, before Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera outstretched an arm to beat it behind.

After Anelka had headed over, he then intercepted an Abou Diaby ball that was meant for Sidney Govou. Anelka was flagged, but Govou was well onside and would have been sent clear.

The remainder of the first half slipped into a scrappy affair and the teams went into the break at 0-0.

Diaby did well to head clear a Forlan free-kick with Diego Lugano poised to head home, and Forlan then had a snap-shot of his own that he put over the bar as Uruguay made a fast start to the second half.

Forlan fired just wide after being set-up by strike-partner Luis Suarez, while at the other end substitute Florent Malouda shot wide as well.

Uruguay were reduced to 10 men on 81 minutes when midfielder Lodeiro was deservedly shown a second yellow card for a terrible challenge of French right-back Bakari Sagna.

France had an appeal for handball turned down, ironically from a shot by Thierry Henry, but neither side could find a breakthrough in the dying minutes.