Australia head coach Bert van Marwijk said on Saturday that his team "deserved a draw" in their FIFA World Cup encounter with France.
The game, which took place here on Saturday, ended in a 2-1 victory for France, reports Sputnik news agency.
"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," van Marwijk told journalists.
"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," he added.
The matches of will be held at 12 stadiums across 11 Russian cities till July 15.
--IANS
ajb/bg
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