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Gabriel Omar Batistuta (63)

Gabriel Batistuta's 56th international goal gave Argentina the perfect start to a World Cup 2002 campaign in which they have been widely tipped to become champions for a fourth time. `The Group of Death' appeared as if it would live up to its imposing nickname for one of the tournament favourites for despite carving Nigerian apart, Argentina found themselves frustrated as a catalogue of chances went begging.

Batistuta, making his 76th appearance for his country, was the key culprit as he twice wasted gilt-edged opportunities before finally making it third time lucky from a piercing Juan Sebastian Veron corner.

Gabriel Batistuta's 56th international goal gave Argentina the perfect start to a World Cup campaign in which they have been widely tipped to become champions for a fourth time. `The Group of Death' appeared as if it would live up to its imposing nickname for one of the tournament favourites for despite carving Nigerian apart, Argentina found themselves frustrated as a catalogue of chances went begging.

Batistuta, making his 76th appearance for his country, was the key culprit as he twice wasted gilt-edged opportunities before finally making it third time lucky from a piercing Juan Sebastian Veron corner.

Manchester United ace Veron was handed the captain's armband by coach Marcelo Bielsa, and he responded with a masterful midfield display, pulling the strings and ultimately punishing Nigeria with his deadly dead-ball deliveries.

Nigeria were left floundering at his inswinging corners - England skipper David Beckham will surely have taken note - and finally in the 63rd minute Batistuta was at the post to steer home a header which Crewe's Efe Sodje could only help into the net.

It was the fourth time in World Cup history he had picked out the Roma forward at the back post with a left-wing corner.

Argentina had earlier headed into the interval wondering how they had played out the first goalless opening 45 minutes of the tournament as Nigeria had weathered a storm.

Although the Africans spent most of the time in their own half, keeper Ike Shorunmu was only twice called upon as he first prevented Batistuta from scoring with a 15-yard curler before producing a stunning fingertip save in keeping out Ariel Ortega's rising, first-time drive.

Opposite number Pablo Cavallero, winning only his ninth cap and preferred in goal to the more experienced German Burgos, proved equally as agile in pushing over the bar a rasping shot from captain Jay Jay Okocha late in the half.

Nigeria defended doggedly and in numbers with Taribo West especially impressive, but Argentina stepped up the pace and should have scored before Batistuta's 63rd-minute winner.

Batistuta, Juan Sorin and Mauricio Pochettino were all guilty of glaring misses after the interval, while Shorunmu produced another sensational save from Sorin's 15-yard right-foot volley.

And though Nigeria showed more attacking intent after Argentina scored, substitutes Kily Gonzalez and Hernan Crespo both had two chances to add to the lead.

But 33-year-old Roma striker Batistuta finally came up trumps and the onus is now on England to gain at least a point from their opening Group F game against Sweden in Saitama later today.

David Beckham is determined to banish the 'demons' which have haunted him since his dramatic sending-off when England last faced Argentina in the World Cup four years ago.

England's captain says he knows exactly what is coming his way when he leads his country in what most observers believe will be the key clash of Sven Goran Eriksson's World Cup campaign.

And this time, says Beckham, he will not fall for any of Argentina's tricks.

At France 98, Beckham was sent off for a retaliatory kick at Argentina's captain, Diego Simeone. Suckered into the red card offence by Simeone's stifling attentions on that balmy night in St Etienne, Beckham carried the can for England's exit from the finals.

Public vilification, including having his effigy strung up in a London street, followed.

Now, in a revealing interview on the eve of England's departure for their South Korean base on the island of Jeju, Beckham talked candidly about the Simeone incident - and England's forthcoming showdown with their old foes in Sapporo, Japan, on June 7.

'I'm sure they'll try to wind me up,' he said. 'But there will be a bit of that on both sides. It's part and parcel of football these days - but I believe I'm above all that now.

'I feel I can get over situations like that - things that I've been through in the past - and I'm glad I've been able to prove that to people. It was hard for me at the time, but I'm looking forward to putting all those demons to sleep.'

Argentina underlined their status as World Cup 2002 favourites with a 1-0 victory over Germany in Stuttgart on Wednesday as 28 of the 32 hopefuls warmed up for next month's start to the finals in South Korea and Japan.

The highlight of the night, a repeat of the 1986 and 1990 finals, was anything but a friendly, however, as both sides crashed into the tackle before and after Juan Pablo Sorin's decisive 48th minute header.

In another meeting of former winners, Italy and Uruguay drew 1-1 in Milan while Brazil were also held 1-1 in Portugal and holders France had a disappointing goalless draw with Russia in Paris.

The big winners on the night were Spain and England who thrashed Northern Ireland 5-0 and Paraguay 4-0 respectively.

Denmark's 3-1 win over Israel in Copenhagen was overshadowed by clashes between police and anti-Israel protesterswhen around 100 of 1,800 protesters tried to force their way into the Parken stadium.

Around 150 people were arrested before Denmark won with first-half goals by Jan Heintze, Jon Dahl Tomasson and Dennis Rommedahl.

Other World Cup hopefuls to chalk up victories included Turkey, Ireland, Nigeria and Slovenia. Turkey clinched their first win in a friendly for five years with a 2-0 win over Chile in the game played in the Netherlands.

Senegal, China, Saudi Arabia and joint-host South Korea were the four World Cup teams having a rest.

The pick of the night's games was the heavyweight clash between three-times world champions Germany and twice-winners Argentina and in their first meeting for nine years they wasted little time in renewing hostilities in a bruising encounter.

Argentina were missing several leading players, notably central defender Roberto Ayala, midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, record goalscorer Gabriel Batistuta and fellow striker Hernan Crespo.

They might now be without another after losing midfielder Marcelo Gallardo to a terrible challenge from German midfielder Jens Jeremies.

Argentina have left Barcelona's Javier Saviola and Boca Juniors playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme out of their World Cup 2002 squad, according to local media who have been following the team's preparations in Italy.

By Tuesday, 21 players had arrived at the training camp and Argentine media claimed that the two remaining places will be filled by Juan Pablo Sorin, who plays for Brazil's Cruzeiro, and Diego Placente from Champions Cup finalists Bayer Leverkusen.

Argentina are due to leave for Japan on Wednesday where Placente will join them after Wednesday's final against Real Madrid.

Sorin, who scored the winning goal in last month's 1-0 win over Germany, was due to arrive late on Tuesday.

It has been generally accepted by the media that changes will only be made to the 23 in the case of injury.

That means no place for Saviola, the gifted Barcelona striker, or Boca Juniors' elegant playmaker Riquelme.

Saviola made regular appearances, most as a substitute, during the World Cup qualifiers and led his country to victory in last year's World Youth Championship.

Riquelme, who wears the famous Boca number 10 shirt which once belonged to Diego Maradona, is a precocious talent at club level but has yet to make an impact in international football.

The first 12 members of the squad were officially named by coach Marcelo Bielsa last week, when he confirmed they would also be going to the World Cup.

The 12 included defenders Jose Chamot, Mauricio Pochettino and Walter Samuel, midfielders Diego Simeone, Javier Zanetti, Marcelo Gallardo, Ariel Ortega and Claudio Husain and forwards Claudio Caniggia, Gabriel Batistuta, Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez.