Australia 'Deserved Draw' in World Cup Match Against France - Head Coach

© Sputnik / Pavel Lisitsyn / Go to the mediabankThe FIFA World Cup logo installation on the Iset River bank in Yekaterinburg
The FIFA World Cup logo installation on the Iset River bank in Yekaterinburg - Sputnik International
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KAZAN (Sputnik) - Australia head coach Bert van Marwijk said Saturday that his team "deserved a draw" in their FIFA World Cup encounter with France.

The game, which took place in Kazan earlier on Saturday, ended in a 2-1 victory for France.

READ MORE: Nizhny Novgorod Mayor: FIFA World Cup to Boost the City's Sports Development

"I'm proud and disappointed. I think we gave a very good performance. Nobody… expected that we could play like this against France. I think there were a lot of moments [when] they [France] didn't know what to do anymore… It's a big compliment for us. If you lose them with a penalty, you can discuss… The way they [Australia] wanted to play — they did it 95 percent… I cannot blame any of my players, I only can make them compliments… We deserved to play a draw," van Marwijk told journalists.

Commenting on the game, France head coach Didier Deschamps said that his team "lacked speed and passing accuracy" in their FIFA World Cup encounter with Australia, which took place in Kazan earlier on Saturday and ended in a 2-1 victory for the French side.

"The first match is always important, and we managed to achieve the desired result. It was a difficult game against a good team [Australia]. We lacked speed and passing accuracy. It worked for Australia's benefit… We did not always cover the opponents when they left their half of the pitch. I don't want to make excuses for our team… Although Australia are not the favorites [to win the World Cup], they are still difficult opponents," Deschamps told journalists.

The games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be held at 12 stadiums across 11 Russian cities till July 15.

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