Soccer: Bitter Slovenia tally up ref's mistakes

GWANGJU - Slovenia left the field furious and bitter after their 3-1 defeat by Spain in their first-ever match in the competition.

Moroccan referee Mohamed Guezzaz was the source of their fury after three controversial decisions went against them.

In the first half, midfielder Amir Karic was booked, apparently for diving in the Spanish box. But television replays showed contact was clearly made with two Spanish defenders.

With six minutes remaining, and the score at 2-1, the Slovenians could have had a chance of levelling the score when second-half substitute Milenko Acimovic went down in the area under the challenge of experienced defender Miguel Angel Nadal.

But Slovenian claims for a penalty were waved away by Guezzaz.

The saying that bad luck comes in threes was never more apt than three minutes later, when Spain's Fernando Morientes earned a spot-kick for a seemingly soft challenge by Sasa Gajser.

Veteran Fernando Hierro stroked the penalty past Slovenian goalkeeper Marko Simeunovic to clinch the three points.

"In some games refereeing decisions go against you, and that was the case in this match," Slovenian coach Srecko Katanec said.

Some of his players were not so diplomatic. "Terrible, terrible," muttered striker Milan Osterc, in reference to the referee.

Sebastjan Cimirotic said: "It was so bad I don't want to talk about him."

Nor were Slovenia too taken with the Spaniards, despite the defeat.

"We didn't play as well as we can, but I wasn't too impressed with the Spaniards," Osterc said. "To be honest, I was expecting them to play better.

"When you think how big Spain is and how small Slovenia is, they should have scored more goals."

Osterc, who once played in the Spanish second division at Hercules, added: "Considering Spain came into this game as overwhelming favourites, it shows that small countries still can cause an upset."

He said he believed his country could still qualify for the second round with good results in their forthcoming matches against South Africa and Paraguay.

Slovenia had threatened to emulate South Africa's recovery earlier in the day before Hierro added to his tally as Spain's unlikely all-time leading scorer.

Although quite an honour for a one-time midfielder now playing at the heart of what must be the tournament's flattest back-four, Hierro's record is, nevertheless, a sad reflection on the lack of fire power among Spain's forwards through the ages.

Raul is supposed to be the latest big hope and it was he who gave Spain a 44th-minute lead.

Juan Carlos Valeron extended their margin before Cimirotic got one back for Slovenia. Then came the controversial penalty.

It was Spain's first win in an opening match at the finals since 1950.

* South Africa's comeback to force a 2-2 draw with Paraguay can be seen as a vindication of the controversial decision this year to appoint Jomo Sono as coach.

Sono, originally brought in as technical director, was promoted over the head of Carlos Queiroz in March after a poor display in the African Nations Cup.

He seems to have instilled a new belief in a squad which appeared on the wane.

"He is a players' coach and we all respect him," Quinton Fortune said.

The Manchester United midfielder's injury-time penalty secured a point after the Africans had trailed 2-0 early in the second half.

"He was very positive and just told us to keep going and to believe in ourselves."

It is little surprise that Sono has the backing of the squad because he enjoys superstar status in South Africa, having been the country's outstanding player during the 1980s.

The international sporting ban because of apartheid robbed him of any chance of playing in a World Cup, and the former midfielder came close to a move to Juventus in the early 1980s.

But now he is taking full advantage of this second chance.

With Spain looming in the background for their final fixture, South Africa now face Slovenia in a game they must win to have any chance of reaching the second round for the first time. Sono is confident they can do it.

- AGENCIES

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