LONDON: France, Portugal and Russia all moved closer to next year’s World Cup finals with first leg play-off wins on Saturday, although none of them did enough to take victory for granted in the second legs next week.
France, runners-up in Germany in 2006, beat Ireland 1-0 in Dublin with a late deflected goal from Nicolas Anelka, and start as favourites to finish the job in Paris on Wednesday.
Portugal beat Bosnia 1-0 in Lisbon with defender Bruno Alves heading the only goal in the first half, while two goals from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov put Russia 2-0 up against Slovenia who scored a vital away goal three minutes from time when substitute Nejc Pecnik headed home to make the final score 2-1.
Greece and Ukraine drew 0-0 in the first leg of their playoff in Athens, with Ukraine now favourites to take control of the tie at home in Donetsk on Wednesday.
Uruguay seized the advantage in the South American/CONCACAF playoff with a 22nd minute goal by Diego Lugano to give them a 1-0 victory in Costa Rica and head back to the Centenario stadium in Montevideo on Wednesday.
In Africa, Nigeria and Cameroon qualified for the finals.
France dominated for much of the match in front of 80,000 fans at Croke Park and went in front 18 minutes from time when Anelka’s shot took a deflection off Sean St Ledger and left goalkeeper Shay Given helpless.
Striker Bilyaletdinov scored on either side of halftime and put the Russians in control over Slovenia in Moscow and in sight of their 10th World Cup finals appearance, including those made by the Soviet Union. But Pecnik’s late header gave the visitors real hopes of salvaging the tie in Maribor on Wednesday.
Nigeria clinched their place when they came from behind to beat Kenya 3-2 in Nairobi with Obafemi Martins scoring twice to give them victory and allow them to snatch top place in African Group B from Tunisia.
The North Africans topped the standings at the start of the day but lost 1-0 to Mozambique and were eliminated.
Cameroon qualified for their sixth World Cup, a record for an African nation with a 2-0 Group A win in Morocco with Achille Webo and captain Samuel Eto’o scoring.
South Africa held to a draw
BERNE: World Cup 2010 hosts South Africa’s troubles persisted with a 0-0 draw at home to Japan on coach Carlos Alberto Parreira’s second debut. Spain added to Diego Maradona’s worries by beating his Argentina side 2-1 thanks to two Xabi Alonso goals, including a late penalty, as the teams already qualified for South Africa began their preparations.
In other games between qualified teams, Slovakia beat the United States 1-0 while the Denmark-South Korea and Italy-Netherlands matches ended in goalless stalemates.
In South Africa, Parreira, who was appointed for the first time in 2007 but quit last year after his wife fell ill, returned to the helm to replace compatriot Joel Santana following a long losing run.
He recalled striker Benni McCarthy for the match in Port Elizabeth but it was to little effect, as Japan enjoyed most of the better moments in a game of few chances.
South Africa’s only victory in their last 10 games is a 1-0 win in a hastily-arranged friendly against Madagascar.
Alonso put European champions Spain ahead after 16 minutes against Argentina in Madrid and converted an 86th minute penalty following a handball by Martin Demichelis to give them the win. Lionel Messi replied from another penalty just after the hour for Argentina who staggered to South Africa.
Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsit converted a penalty to give Slovakia a 1-0 win over U.S., his eighth international goal, after a foul on teenager Vladimir Weiss. The US fielded a weakened team because of domestic club commitments.
A classy goal from striker Danko Lazovic in the 57th minute gave qualified Serbia a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in a lively friendly at Windsor Park.
Switzerland, another qualifier, slumped to a 1-0 home defeat against Norway, who missed out on South Africa. John Carew scored the only goal of a drab, rainswept match from a second half penalty to end Ottmar Hitzfeld team’s 11-match unbeaten run.
