New Zealand 1 Colombia 3

ST ETIENNE (France), June 21: France striker Sidney Govou fired the holders into the Confederations Cup semifinals with an unconvincing 2-1 win over Japan in Group A on Friday.

Govou lashed home the 66th minute winner after Robert Pires, captaining France for the first time, had converted a 43rd minute penalty before Shunsuke Nakamura deservedly levelled for Japan on the hour mark.

The win was marred only by a stoppage-time red card for France defender Willy Sagnol.

France, who beat Colombia 1-0 in their opener, have six points, while Japan and the Colombians, who beat 10-man New Zealand 3-1 earlier on Friday, both have three points before the final round of matches. The top two go into the semi-finals.

Japan, looking for revenge after their 1-0 defeat by France in the 2001 Confederations Cup final, played the better football in the first half and hit the woodwork in a spirited closing assault on the France goal at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard.

France coach Jacques Santini, missing his midfield trio of Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele and Patrick Vieira through club duty and injury, retained only midfielder Olivier Dacourt from the starting 11 of their laboured win over Colombia.

Fabien Barthez returned between the posts and midfielder Pires was given an unfamiliar role on the right flank.

The 33,000 crowd, who did the Mexican wave to relieve the tedium, were finally roused by the first scoring chance in the 26th minute — when Govou headed wide from a Steve Marlet cross.

But the flowing football was all coming from Japan and the crowd had just begun booing, whistling and calling for Thierry Henry to be sent on when calamity struck for Zico’s Japan.

Junichi Inamoto, outstanding in the Japanese side’s World Cup run on home soil last year, needlessly tugged the shirt of defender Jean-Alain Boumsong and Pires, Inamoto’s former team mate during his spell at Arsenal, tucked home a low spot-kick.

France fared little better after the re-start and the fans’ demands for pacy striker Henry became ever more insistent.

Japan were finally rewarded for their efforts when Nakamura, who scored twice in their 3-0 win over New Zealand, curled a free-kick in off the far post, leaving Barthez stranded.

Six minutes later, though, the hosts dug themselves out of trouble when Govou latched on to a long ball deep into the box and crashed home an unstoppable shot.

France round off their group games against New Zealand on Sunday in Paris when they will be joined in the semifinals by the winners of Japan’s match against Colombia in St Etienne.

Earlier Colombia came from behind to beat 10-man New Zealand 3-1 in Lyon on Friday and keep their alive their hopes of qualifying for the semifinals.

New Zealand went in front when striker Raffaele De Gregorio slotted home a shot from outside the box in the 27th minute but the South American champions levelled through Jorge Lopez just before the hour.

Defender Mario Yepez gave his side the lead by netting a superb volley from 10 metres with just 15 minutes to go before midfielder Giovanni Hernandez wrapped up the match thanks to a third goal in the 85th minute.

The Kiwis finished with 10 players on the field after striker Chris Killen was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 69th minute.

New Zealand have yet to win a match in the eight-nation tournament. They lost 3-0 to Japan on Wednesday and in their previous appearance in 1999 they finished with three consecutive defeats.

Colombia were beaten 1-0 by France in their opening match but still have a chance of reaching the last four when they take on Japan on Sunday.—Reuters