Lemerre - not over-confident. (Allsport)

By Martyn Ziegler, PA Chief Sports Reporter, Seoul

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The long wait and the almost interminable build-up are finally over. Finally, the football can begin.

For France, after two years without a proper competitive match, the appetites have been whetted to a keener point than most, and World Cup new boys Senegal provide the first test of whether the reigning champions can defend their trophy.

But there are many facets about the Senegal side which have made France wary of expecting an easy ride in the fantastic new space-age Seoul World Cup Stadium.

French coach Roger Lemerre has only to look back to the opening game of the 1990 finals in Milan, a match he attended, when an unfancied African nation rocked the footballing world by beating the reigning champions.

Cameroon beat Argentina 1-0 in Milan 12 years ago, thanks to Francois Omam-Biyik's goal - and some of the crudest tackling ever witnessed in a World Cup match - and went on to top the group before losing narrowly to England in the quarter-finals.

This time, the World Cup holders' opening game is against Senegal, who are playing in their first finals but have enough quality to pose a significant threat.

Lemerre said: "There was a shock in 1990 - I was at that match, I remember it well. Cameroon played exceptionally well and surprised Argentina and certainly we will take a warning from what happened then.

"But also remember it did not stop Argentina from getting all the way to the final and then as now Cameroon were the best team in Africa."

The Senegal team are basically a 'France B' side - it is quite probable that the 11 players who start for Senegal will all play for French clubs.

Conversely, all the likely French starting line-up bar Frank Leboeuf will be based outside their native country.

Other connections include France's Arsenal star Patrick Vieira having been born in Dakar, the capital of the west African state, while Senegal's coach is Bruno Metsu, a Frenchman.

Lemerre added: "The Senegal players live like French people and have done so for a long time.

"In some ways it will be like a French league game. They know the French players' way of thinking, techniques and sports culture very well.

"But they are still from Senegal and have their own attitude and personality so it is not entirely the same. I think neutral fans in the stadium will support them because they are the underdogs so we have to concentrate very hard on playing well."

Whatever the result, the French players will be reunited with their wives and girlfriends for dinner on Friday night, and be able to spend Saturday in their company too.

It is a policy which the French team management introduced in 1998 following some ill-feeling among players during Euro 96. It was also repeated successfully during the European championships two years ago.

Lemerre said: "It's good for the players that they are coming here. It worked in 1998 and Euro 2000 and it was very nice for everybody.

"We hope what happened two and four years ago will also happen at this World Cup."

Back in 1990, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon announced their arrival as a real power on the world stage. Senegal rejoice in the nickname 'The Lions of Teranga', and there is certainly a possibility in the opening game of these finals that France could suffer something of a mauling.