World Cup Draw Reaction : France

French coach Raymond Domenech has welcomed the draw that pits his French side against the hosts South Africa, Uruguay and Mexico.

Speaking after the draw Domenech said "The first thing that’s clear when you look at the make-up of the eight groups – and ours in particular – is that it’s not going to be easy for anyone. We are truly delighted and honoured to be playing against an African team at the first World Cup to be held in the continent, but even more so against the host nation."

"We’re all aware that they will have the unwavering support of the whole country behind them, and that will be something we will have to deal with. We can also look forward to facing two teams from Latin America, and we know that they will be challenging opponents. One advantage for us is that they play a style that we are familiar with – very skillful, and capable of lulling teams into a false sense of security."

"We must be careful not to fall into that trap. We’ve played against both these teams in the not-too-distant past, so we know what to expect. We can now start calmly preparing for the summer, with one positive outcome already assured – we won’t be playing any of our group matches at altitude, which was something I really wanted to avoid."