Thursday, August 17, 2006

Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-2 France

Gallas - valuable equaliser


A stoppage-time own goal handed France victory in their first game of the season on the night Bosnia-Herzegovina said goodbye to a national hero.

The hosts used the occasion to pay tribute to defender Mo Konjic, who is retiring from football following a catalogue of serious injuries.

Sergej Barbarez fired the home side ahead but William Gallas put his Chelsea troubles to one side to equalise before half-time.

And with the game heading for a draw, Veldin Music diverted France substitute Julien Faubert's free-kick into his own net.

But the evening belonged to 36-year-old Konjic, who fought in the war for his country's independence and captained them in their first-ever international in November 1995.

He was given the honour of starting the game and was allowed to play four minutes before being given a two-minute send-off by a near-capacity crowd.

His replacement, Emir Spahic, helped give the crowd more to cheer 16 minutes in when he set up the opening goal.

Les Bleus' defence got in a muddle from a free-kick, allowing Spahic to find Barbarez, who couldn't miss from close range.

Spahic blotted his copybook with a booking but the hosts looked like taking their lead into half-time.

However, the visitors - who fielded a full-strength side in Sarajevo - were level four minutes before the break, Gallas atoning for his and his defensive colleagues' earlier hesitation by heading home Patrick Vieira's flick-on from another free-kick.

The second half saw a series of substitutions which spoiled the flow of the game, including Faubert's introduction in place of Franck Ribery in the 69th minute.

Vieira's 86th-minute booking looked like being the final bit of work for the referee until Music proved to be off-key with a stoppage-time intervention.

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