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Robben tells Dutch to have self-belief

Holland captain Arjen Robben has urged his teammates not to underestimate their ability and believe in their potential to upset France tomorrow morning (Singapore time).

The Dutch sit third in Group A, and a second loss to France in their World Cup qualifying campaign could effectively end their hopes of a place at next year's Finals in Russia.

Robben said: "Of course France have, in terms of quality, a really good team, but I don't want to talk about them.

"We must not think that we are not as good, we must be convinced of our own qualities and believe that we can beat them."

"I'm always very positive. We can well say that it will be difficult because France have a better team but, if you think like that, then you might as well stay at home," he added.

"We must go to Paris with conviction. It is a bit like the situation at the World Cup in 2014. If you believe in something and have the requisite ambition, you can go far."

The unfancied Dutch finished third in the last World Cup in Brazil after initially being heavily criticised for changing their tactical approach.

But they missed out on qualifying for Euro 2016 and have struggled in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. 
- REUTERS

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