Batistuta joins elite with winning goal

Group F
Argentina 1
Nigeria 0

Gabriel Batistuta repaid coach Marcelo Bielsa's faith in him when he headed home a 63rd minute goal to give World Cup favourites Argentina a 1-0 win over Nigeria in their opening Group F match yesterday.

Batistuta rose above team-mate Mauricio Pochettino as both were looking to get onto the end of a deep corner from Juan Sebastian Veron, but Batistuta's striker's instincts ensured he was in a better position to score.

It gave him a place in an exclusive club of 10 players who have scored 10 or more goals in World Cup history (see page 8).

It was Batistuta's 56th goal for Argentina in his 76th international but, more importantly, gave them three points from a match they dominated for long periods, but struggled to control in a tough group that also includes England and Sweden.

Batistuta won his place in the side ahead of Hernan Crespo with Bielsa saying there was little to choose between the two.

Crespo came on late in the game as Batistuta went off to a standing ovation from the fans.

He was close to scoring several times as the Nigerian defence struggled to cope with far post crosses, not least when he headed a similar effort to his goal just wide in the first half.

But his perseverance paid off to Argentina's deserved benefit.

Substitute Kily Gonzalez almost added a second goal near the end of the match when he broke down the left and fired in a shot that impressive Nigerian goalkeeper Ike Shorunmu did well to block.

Bielsa had to change his plans when defender and captain Roberto Ayala hurt his thigh during the pre-match warm-up and was replaced by Diego Placente wide on the left.

Walter Samuel moved from left-back to sweeper with Placente moving to his spot and midfielder Veron taking over as skipper in the enforced 11th hour shuffle for the twice-world champions.

But it was Nigeria who had to defend for the first hour as Argentina's famed attacking game kept them on the back foot.

When Nigeria did break forward, they either squandered their chances or were denied by some superb goalkeeping from Pablo Cavallero.

The second half was a big improvement on the first, although the clearest scoring chances came before the break.

After a series of half-chances and near-misses Ariel Ortega brought out a superb save from Shorunmu after 29 minutes with the goalkeeper moving swiftly to tip the powerful shot over the bar.

Within two minutes Jay Jay Okocha forced Cavallero into an even more athletic dive with a blistering effort from 18 metres at the other end.

Batistuta almost opened the scoring on 36 minutes when he headed narrowly past the post from Veron's deep corner, but that was the last clear chance of the half.

Gonzalez came on for Claudio Lopez on the left at half-time and Nigeria made their own change two minutes later when injured striker Kanu, who had struggled with a knock for most of the first half, was replaced by fellow forward Pius Ikedia.

But it was Batistuta who was making all the openings and he narrowly failed to turn in another Veron corner at the far post just after the break before Juan Pablo Sorin put a header wide.

Batistuta then fired a 20-metre free-kick over the bar and Sorin's effort on the hour-mark met a similar fate after a slick passing move involving Veron and Ortega, wearing the coveted number 10 shirt made famous by Diego Maradona.

Three minutes later Argentina took the lead when Batistuta rose at the far post to head the ball home off the leg of Nigeria's Efe Sodje after another teasing Veron corner had eluded the uncertain Nigerian defence and his team-mate Pochettino.

Batistuta gave way to Crespo on 80 minutes and his rival as Argentina's main striker wasted a good chance to finish off the Nigerians as Shorunmu pulled off another good save.

Argentina: Cavallero; Pochettino, Placente, Samuel; Zanetti, Simeone, Veron (Aimar 78), Sorin; Ortega, Batistuta (Crespo 80), Lopez (Gonzalez 46).

Nigeria: Shorunmu; Babayaro, West, Okoronkwo, Sodje (Justice 74), Yobo, Kanu (Ikedia 48), Okocha, Ogbeche, Aghahowa, Lawal.

Referee: Gilles Veissiere (France).

Scorer: Batistuta 63.

Yellow cards: Samuel, Simeone (A); Sodje (N).

HT: 0-0. Attendance: 34,050.