Guwahati: France will look to replicate their European Championships form on the global stage as they kick off their campaign in the Fifa U-17 World Cup with a game against debutants New Caledonia here on Sunday.
A formidable force in international football, France are not among the more successful teams at the U-17 tournament, but they will draw confidence from Euro U-17, in which they reached the quarter-finals.
France and Japan are favourites to qualify for the knockouts from Group E, which also has Honduras, besides New Caledonia.
The likes of Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri came through this event and France will be hoping that they get a few more in India.
Winners of the 2001 edition in Trinidad and Tobago, France have competed in only five of 16 finals. As far as their opponents are concerned, a population of about 2.70 lakh will make New Caledonia the smallest nation ever to play in a Fifa World Cup.
Japan battle Honduras
Asian giants Japan will eye a positive start when they lock horns with Honduras on Sunday. Japan reached the 1993 quarter-finals when they hosted the tournament as debutants.
In the 2011 edition, they created a flutter by topping a group that included Argentina, France and Jamaica on their way to the quarters. Honduras have managed to regularly qualify for the tournament since 2007.
