Pablo Cavallero
                                                   
 
                        Mauricio Pochettino          Walter Samuel           Diego Placente
 

            Javier Zanetti             Diego Simeone            Juan Sebastian Veron             Juan Pablo Sorin
                                                                  (Pablo Aimar 78)

                                  Ariel Ortega      Gabriel Batistuta         Claudio Lopez
                                                        (Hernan Crespo 81)    (Kily Gonzales 46)

Click here to see the full Argentinean squad
 

The Nigerian team that played was:

                                                        Ike Shorunmu
                                                   
 
              Efe Sodje                         Taribo West             Isaac Okoronkwo       Celestine Babayaro
               (sub Christopher Justice 73)

             Agustine Okocha                Joseph Yobo                Kanu                        Garba Lawal
                                                                                                           (sub Pius Ikedia 48)

                             Bartholomew Ogbeche            Julius Aghahowa
 

Even though Argentina lost their captain Roberto Ayala shortly before kick off (from a hamstring injury) their replacement captain, Juan Sebastian Veron, controlled the game from midfield and helped Argentina to a fairly easy 1-0 victory against Nigeria. Gabriel Batistuta was preferred to Hernan Crespo up front and justified his selection with a great game that included the match winning goal in the 63rd minute.

Argentina started the game brightly with lots of possession and chances on the Nigerian goal but failed to convert them early on with some desperate Nigerian defending and great goalkeeping by Ike Shorunmu.

After half an hour, Ariel Ortega had an excellent blasted shot from outside the box which Shorunmu tipped over the bar - Batistuta had some good chances in the first half too but could not convert them.

After 32 minutes Nigeria had a long range shot from Okocha in their best chance of the game - after a good run Okocha hit a superb shot from outside the box on the left side which required a good save to push the ball over the crossbar from the Argentian goalkeeper, Pablo Cavallero.

At the start of the second half Batistuta could have put Argentina ahead - from a Veron corner, he slid in at the far post but put the ball just wide of the goal.

After an hour gone, after getting into a great position in the middle of the penalty box, Sorin had a shot which the goalkeeper had to tip over the bar again.
 

                
                        Batistuta celebrates his goal
 

After 63 minutes, Batistuta scored in his third World Cup running to give Argentina a 1-0 lead. Veron took a corner and Batistuta arrived at the far post to head the ball into the net from a tight angle.

With ten minutes to go, Shorunmu had to save again from a well struck Batistuta free kick. Then five minutes later, substitute Crespo curled an excellent chance just over the bar. Right at the end of the game Kily Gonzales also had another chance to score for Argentina but Shorunmu saved again and the match ended with just the one goal in the game.
 

Argentina now take on England on Friday 7 June 2002 at 12.30 pm (BST - British Summer Time). Nigeria take on Sweden earlier in the day.

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Note: This England World Cup 2002 website is also available using  http://clik.to/england 

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