Soccer: Swedes recover brilliantly to put Nigeria out

KOBE - Striker Henrik Larsson scored twice as Sweden came from a goal down to beat World Cup group F rivals Nigeria 2-1 tonight and eliminate the African side from the tournament.

Nigeria, who lost their opening match 1-0 to Argentina, were celebrating when Julius Aghahowa headed them into a 27th-minute lead and lit up the stage with his trademark series of back flips.

But Larsson stole his thunder with an equaliser after 35 minutes before converting a 62nd-minute penalty which lifted Sweden to the top of the group on four points after a highly entertaining game.

Their lead may be short-lived, though, as Argentina were faced England in Sapporo overnight.

Nigeria, who reached the second round at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, could have salvaged a point midway through the second half when Taribo West headed wide from close range and Joseph Yobo's meaty long-range shot struck a post.

Having taken just one point from their opening 1-1 draw with England and with tournament favourites Argentina still to play, on Wednesday, Sweden were under some pressure.

But Larsson and defender Olof Mellberg had a sight of goal in the first two minutes before the first genuine chance.

Fredrik Ljungberg's run after 20 minutes tested goalkeeper Ike Shoronmu, and from the resulting corner, Johan Mjallby's goalbound header was cleared off the line by Justice Christopher.

Although Nigeria's delightful skills had been throwing Sweden this way and that, the Super Eagles' breakthrough - against the run of play - was very direct.

Yobo motored down the right flank and provided the perfect cross for Aghahowa, who nipped in front of keeper Magnus Hedman to head home.

Larsson levelled 10 minutes before halftime as he sidestepped two defenders and calmly beat Shoronmu from close range, but Sweden's defence was suddenly vulnerable.

Eight minutes before the break, they survived a scare when Teddy Lucic's clearance hit team- mate Mjallby and the ball rebounded off a post.

Although the excitement waned in the second half, Larsson maintained his threat.

After seemingly getting little protection from referee Rene Ortube, he finally won the decisive penalty under a challenge from Ifeanyi Udeze. The striker stepped up to convert the spot-kick himself, despite Shoronmu's valiant effort.

Saudi Arabia are the only other team eliminated from the World Cup so far.

* German striker Miroslav Klose, the leading scorer of the finals with four in two games, missed his second straight day of practice with a bruised knee.

Klose, 23, electrified the cup audience with a hat-trick in Germany's 8-0 opening rout of Saudi Arabia.

He also scored Germany's only goal in the 1-1 draw against Ireland on Wednesday in Ibaraki, before being substituted in the second half.

By then, he had considerably slowed down and had his right knee taped as soon as he went off the pitch.

Germany's next match is on Tuesday against Cameroon for a place in the knockout stage in Shizuoka.

* Italy captain Paolo Maldini and his father, Cesare, can be forgiven for having divided loyalties during the finals. The 70-year-old Cesare, former coach of Italy, is leading the Paraguay team in South Korea and Japan, and the two are keeping in touch.

"We keep in frequent contact and spoke after Paraguay's draw with South Africa," Paolo said.

"It is certainly a different experience to coaching Italy, but while he is doing his job he is also rooting for Italy in our games."

Cesare, 70, was Italy's coach at the World Cup in France four years ago when the "Azzurri" were knocked out by the hosts and eventual winners in the quarter-finals.

That defeat cost him his job.

Maldini snr was appointed coach of Paraguay last December, and led his team to a 2-2 draw with South Africa in their opening game on Sunday.

Paolo Maldini , Italy's most-capped player, with 123 appearances, is playing in his fourth finals and can break Lothar Matthaeus' record of 25 appearances in finals games if Italy reach the last four.

There is a chance that father and son could cross paths directly if Paraguay were to progress from a group which includes Spain and Slovenia as well as the South Africans.

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