France coach Herve Renard is confident playing against "an entire nation" will bring out the best in his team when they face Australia in the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup in Brisbane on Saturday. "We know we are not just playing against one team but against an entire nation. France lost 1-0 to the Matildas in a friendly in Melbourne a week before the World Cup began, in front of a crowd of just over 50,000. Days later, Australia lost skipper Sam Kerr to a calf injury that led to her missing the entire group stage. Knowing if she is going to play or not is not my worry," Renard said, playing down the significance of Kerr's return.

Source: The Nation August 11, 2023 19:23 UTC