00:07France are not only the headline team of Group I which also includes Senegal, Iraq and Norway
00:13but are one of the World Cup's headliners. Le Bleu are FIFA's top-ranked nation and along with
00:19Spain are considered the joint favourites to lift the title. The French cruised into their 17th
00:25World Cup tournament with an unbeaten record in European qualifying with five wins and one draw.
00:30The two-time winners came close to adding a third title in the Qatar final losing in a classic
00:35encounter to Lionel Messi's Argentina. France boasts of one of the deepest and most talented teams in
00:40the world and while they will be without Liverpool striker Hugo Etetike due to injury they still have
00:46a billion dollar array of options in Ousmane Dembele, Ryan Chirky, Desiree Dwey, Michael Olisse and not to
00:52mention their skipper Kylian Mbappé. It will take something special to get past France and the team
00:58getting the first crack at the 2018 winners are African Cup of Nations winners come runner-up
01:03Senegal. The West African nation along with Morocco are two of the continent's top teams coming in
01:09ranked at 14. Senegal dominated their qualification process to book their fourth World Cup appearance
01:15since reaching the quarterfinals on their debut in 2002. The Lions of Taranga will be hopeful their
01:20skipper Khalidou Koulibaly can return after a long layoff since April but they still have their
01:26talisman to lean on in Sadio Mane along with the likes of Nicholas Jackson, Edward Mendy and Papa
01:31and Idrissi Gay. Senegal would close off their campaign against the Lions of Mesopotamia, Iraq.
01:36The Gulf nation are making their second World Cup appearance ending a 40-year absence but they had
01:42to endure one of the most gruelling qualifications securing the 48th and final spot after defeating Bolivia
01:48in the Intercontinental Playoff. 57 is their highest ever FIFA rank as they are in the midst of their
01:54best period. Despite lacking household names in their squad, striker Ayman Hussain will leave the
02:00line while they will be boosted by the late registrations of Ahmed Kassam of MLS Club Nashville
02:05and Dario Namu from Scotland, Dundee United.
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