Henry gives Domenech boost ahead of federation vote

AFP - 14 October 2008 23:25

French forward Thierry Henry reacts after scoring a goal during the friendly football match against Tunisia at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris. Henry gave coach Raymond Domenech a much-needed boost at a packed Stade de France on Tuesday, as France survived an early scare to run out 3-1 winners over Tunisia.

PARIS (AFP) - Two goals from Thierry Henry gave coach Raymond Domenech a much-needed boost at a packed Stade de France on Tuesday, as France survived an early scare to run out 3-1 winners over Tunisia.

With the French footballing federation (FFF) meeting on Wednesday to decide on Domenech's future, this friendly was anything but a meaningless game.

The 56-year-old's tenure is under scrutiny following France's dismal Euro 2008 and their poor start to World Cup qualifiers, including a nervy 2-2 draw against Romania on Saturday.

When questioned about the meeting after the match, Domenech told TF1 television station: "It's not my problem. My aim is to prepare the team to the best of my ability, and to construct a team which will go to the 2010 World Cup finals.

"The rest is not my problem."

In front of 65,000 expectant fans the game quickly picked up a frantic pace, with strong French challenges indicating there was more at stake here than tactical try-outs.

The first chance fell to Tunisia in the 17th minute when Ben Khalfallah cut inside Rod Fanni to send a tight-angled shot over Steve Mandanda's bar. By this time last weekend Les Bleus were already two down.

Franck Ribery, who scored opener in the Romanian revival, sent in a rasping shot from outside the penalty box in the 22nd minute, but it drifted wide.

Then, on the half-hour mark, Domenech had his head in his hands after two schoolboy errors afforded Tunisia the opener.

Jean-Alain Boumsong misjudged a pass and allowed Issam Jemaa to ghost past and slot the ball through Mandanda legs - a comedy of errors neither players will want to remember.

Listen close enough and you could almost hear the scribbling of FFF pens over the jubilant away fans' celebrations.

Much has been said about France's up-and-coming starlets but it was the mature head of Henry that restored some belief in the team 10 minutes later.

The Barcelona star drove into Tunisia's final third, linking smartly with Yoann Gourcuff before firing a sweet shot into the top corner.

The teams went into the break at 1-1, the final score the last time they met in a friendly in 2002.

Hatem Ben Arfa, whose parents are Tunisian, came on for Ribery at the start of the second period and immediately set up captain Henry with the easiest of tap-ins for his 48th international goal.

The rated Karim Benzema, the 20-year-old whom Domenech has been careful to gradually blood into the first team, pounced on a defensive error in the 58th minute to bullet a curling effort into Aymen Mathlouthi's top corner.

That goal took the fire out of the game, and the play returned to what we have come to expect of friendlies - tame and uncommitted.

But with a leaky defence that again reared its head again on the night, it will doubtless be Domenech who will still feel the heat at Wednesday's federation meeting.

France play their next Group Seven qualifier against Lithuania in March next year.