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France, Nigeria kick off 2011 Women's World Cup

Jun 26, 2011 - 3:32 AM Sinsheim, Germany (Sports Network) - France and Nigeria open the 2011 Women's World Cup on Sunday at Rhein-Neckar-Arena as long shots to survive group play.

Drawn into Group A with two-time defending World Cup champion and host Germany and CONCACAF winner Canada, even the African champions could struggle in their sixth finals appearance.

France, in the World Cup finals for just the second time, could struggle also.

But what the opener provides both teams - who have just three wins combined in previous World Cups - is the opportunity to open the tournament with a victory and put one toe into the knockout stage.

Of course, ending group play with games against Germany and Canada will not be easy, but three points Sunday could open the door to a surprising escape from the group.

Nigeria, one of just seven teams to qualify for all six World Cups, has bigger credentials than France, which is appearing in just its second World Cup.

But despite the long history of World Cup play, Nigeria has advanced past the group stage just once - in 1999. That tournament swiftly ended in the knockout round.

Otherwise, Nigeria has failed to win a single game in its other appearances as it ended last in its group in 1991, 1995, 2003 and 2007.

Goalkeeper Precious Dede, a veteran of two World Cups, insisted "we will be in Germany to make Nigeria proud.

"We have all been expecting another chance to have a go at achieving something better at the world stage."

But despite her veteran presence and the addition of some new talent, Nigeria could again leave the World Cup without a win - especially if it fails to earn a positive result against France.

France's only World Cup appearance was in 2003, and despite failing to advance out of group play, it did defeat South Korea and tie group winner Brazil. Now, new coach Bruno Bini, who has been in charge since 2007, has bigger plans.

The French advanced to the quarterfinals of Euro 2009, and escaped the always tough UEFA World Cup qualifying by outscoring its opponents, 50-0. Although it won't see Iceland, Northern Ireland, Estonia, Serbia or Croatia in Germany.

"All due respect to the teams we beat, who are developing nations on the international scene, but it's going to be a lot tougher for us in Germany," France captain Sandrine Soubeyrand said on UEFA's website.

The French came back down to earth in the playoff portion of qualifying, tying Italy 0-0 in the first leg before sealing a World Cup berth with a 3-2 victory in the second leg. Italy later lost the UEFA-CONCACAF playoff to the U.S.

For France to take the next step, it must start with a win over Nigeria, as it won't likely find three more points from either of its other group matches.