PARIS. July 7 (AFP/ Internet): Will President Jacques Chirac have the nerve? Will he shun traditional attire to turn up for Wednesday's France-Croatia semi-final clash wearing his team's blue jersey?

Midfielder Robert Pires has urged Chirac to don the national shirt and the world remembers the 1995 rugby final when Nelson Mandela urged on the Springboks wearing the captain's green jersey and cap.

Whatever Chirac's decision, with France playing Its first World Cup semi-final in 12 years, the politicians are cashing in on the glory and the VIP benches are already booked out for the Wednesday match.

Befitting his rank and his politics, the Gaullist head of state will be seated to the right of former French international midfielder Michel Platini, who will have Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin to his left.

With the nitty-gritty affairs of state sidelined by World Cup mania. France's two rival political leaders are unabashedly playing to shoot Inside the stadium.

"Inside every football fan slumbers a voter." said the satirical weekly Le Canard En-chaine this Week »iChfrafharnda

Jospin are playing it out on the field."

Chirac cornered the first ball when he sat down to dinner with the team on the eve of the launch of the tournament and said he believed he might be handing them the cup the following month.

Jospin immediately shot back with a pledge to attend all France matches and a confession that before playing basketball. he too had played soccer.

But the first real goal went to Chirac after France's 2-1 defeat over Denmark in the first round.

Chirac, no longer a frontline player in French politics since nis side's blistering defeat in general elections last year, confessed he would have liked to have been a goalkeeper on the soccer field.

They're the last resort in case of difficulties," Chirac said on television after the match. They can see it all."

Jospin's response surprised everyone. A self-professed rugby fan and erstwhile basketball player, he said: "Unlike Jacques Chirac, who would've liked to have been a goalkeeper.

I was onel"

When France ousted Paraguay with a 114th minute golden goal, a stressed-out Jospin was first on the television screens with a comment. Chirac, on a visit to Mozambique. sent a message saying: "I am the happiest of men."

At last week's quarter-finals, when France knocked out Italy on penalties after a goalless match, the two leaders, seen as rivals for the 2002 presidential race, sat nervously either side of Platini.

Since then. Jospin has stolen a beat on Chirac with a weekend Interview in which he compared France's upswing in football fortunes with the country's improving economic cli-mate since he took office a year ago.

Saying the nation was better now than 12 months ago. he added: "It seems to me that there is a striking coincidence here with the French team’s sporting and national ability to overcome their limits and move ahead".

, Leaping onto the football bandwagon, one of his ministers likened him to national hero, midfielder Zinedine Zidane. and a Journalist compared him to coach Aime Jacquet.

"I am a team leader." Jospin responded. "A coach and a player, a mix of Jacquet and of Zidane."

So with Jospin currently in the lead, perhaps Chirac will don the national colours