Confident Georgians hope to catch France off guard

TBILISI, Aug 31 (Reuters) New Georgia manager Klaus Toppmoeller has warned World Cup finalists France not to underestimate his team in their Euro 2008 qualifier on Saturday.

Shortly after taking charge of Georgia at the end of last year the German coach said his main goal was to qualify the former Soviet republic for their first major championship.

''I made that my target when I got this job,'' Toppmoeller told Reuters in an interview at Georgia's training centre in Tbilisi today.

''But, quite frankly, at the time I had no idea that we would be playing in such a tough qualifying group.'' Georgia were drawn in Group B along with world champions Italy, France, World Cup quarter-finalists Ukraine, Scotland, Lithuania and the Faroe Islands.

''We're probably in the toughest group of all with three nations who reached the last eight in the World Cup,'' Toppmoeller said.

''France and Italy are the world's best teams, but I'm a dreamer and just like (American civil rights leader) Martin Luther King I have a dream -- for Georgia to make the (Euro 2008) finals.'' The Georgians got a flying start in their qualifying campaign, thrashing Faroe Islands 6-0 in their opener two weeks ago.

BIGGEST VICTORY It was Georgia's biggest victory in a competitive match since making their international debut as an independent country 12 years ago.

''Of course, that win gave us a lot of confidence but we all know that playing France will be a totally different proposition,'' the coach said.

''Aside from (Zinedine) Zidane, the French have virtually the same team that played in the World Cup... Still we intend to make it tough for them. They'll have to fight hard to beat us.'' Toppmoeller, Germany's coach of the year in 2002 after taking Bayer Leverkusen to the Champions League final, said he was hoping to catch France off guard.

''Well, you don't know, maybe after a World Cup break they won't be at their best,'' he said. ''Maybe they'll be only 50 per cent ready.'' Toppmoeller's main worry is in defence with fullbacks Kakha Kaladze and Levan Tskitishvili injured.

''That's my biggest headache, how to replace Kaladze and Tskitishvili,'' he said.

Asked if he would be satisfied with a draw, Toppmoeller just smiled and said: ''That wouldn't be too bad.'' Levan Kobiashvili, stand-in captain for Kaladze, echoed the coach's view.

''We'll be playing at home in front of a packed (stadium of) 65,000 screaming fans and that should give us extra motivation if we ever need that,'' the Schalke 04 midfielder told Reuters.

''We want to go out and give everything we've got for the full 90 minutes. That's our plan and also our biggest weapon.'' REUTERS PDS VV2125