Okocha and Sorin leap for the ball. (Allsport)

Final Score: Argentina 1 Nigeria 0

Man of the match: Juan Pablo Sorin. Veron will no doubt grab the headlines, particularly for his craft from set-pieces, but Sorin's all-action display provided a sound base for Argentina and ensured they opened with a victory.

90 min: Nigeria have no time to take the corner, though, as the full-time whistle blows.

90 min: Okocha shoots from long range and Cavallero needlessly pushes it around the post.

90 min: Crespo lays in Gonzalez down the left but his powerful shot is blocked by Shorunmu and West hacks it out for a corner.

89 min: Simeone goes into the book for a wild tackle on West.

88 min: Zanetti breaks past two men down the right but gives it away as he attempts to find Crespo in the centre.

87 min: Gonzalez lays it through to Sorin but his effort is scrambled clear by West.

85 min: Gonzalez plays in Crespo down the inside left channel but his curling shot drifts over the bar.

84 min: Crespo plays his first real part in the action as he heads a Zanetti cross from the right wide.

83 min: The flag-kick is headed way off target by Ogbeche. Cavallero came for that corner as well, but failed to get there.

82 min: Yobo's cross from deep deflects off Simeone and is out for a corner to Nigeria.

81 min: Hernan Crespo is thrown into the fray by Argentina, with goalscorer Batistuta leaving the field.

80 min: Cavallero comes flying from goal to meet Lawal's cross, but gets nowhere near it as Aghahowa tries to turn it goalwards.

79 min: Batistuta drills the ball goalwards, forcing Shorunmu to plunge to his right to save.

78 min: Aimar is straight into the action as he powers forward from midfield, winning a free-kick about 30 yards out.

78 min: Argentina bring Pablo Aimar on for captain Veron.

76 min: Aghahowa works himself some space and Zanetti has to be aware to hack clear from inside his own six-yard box.

75 min: Ogbeche makes headway down the right, but Samuel comes across and forces a throw in off the Nigerian youngster.

73 min: The Crewe defender is immediately substituted, with Justice Christopher replacing him.

73 min: Sodje goes into the book for a poor tackle on Placente.

73 min: Ikedia turns his marker and plays a neat one-two with Aghahowa but his cross in is blocked.

72 min: Veron weaves his magic on the edge of the box but rather than choosing the unmarked Gonzalez he tries to lay in Batistuta and Nigeria clear.

70 min: Placente is the latest player to go down but the referee makes him get back to his feet and hobble off for treatment.

68 min: Veron's curling free-kick is easily dealt with by Shorunmu.

68 min: Zanetti draws a free-kick from Ikedia as Argentina begin to cut loose.

67 min: Sodje returns to the pitch.

67 min: Veron's corner finds Batistuta at the back post again, but this time he can't get the ball on target and Nigeria clear.

66 min: Veron floats a free-kick in and Shorunmu has to tip it over.

65 min: Sodje is down, and leaves the field on a stretcher.

63 min: GOAL - BATISTUTA. Veron's flag-kick is straight on to the head of Batistuta at the back post. He heads down powerfully and Sodje can't keep it out on the line.

63 min: Veron opts to shoot from the free-kick, but it's deflected for a corner.

62 min: West bundles over Sorin just outside the Nigerian area towards the left flank.

61 min: Veron's corner is fisted clear by Shorunmu.

61 min: A great move from Argentina ends with Ortega finding Sorin in the box. He chests it down and shoots, but Shorunmu is equal to the task.

60 min: Gonzalez falls theatrically after contact from Aghahowa, winning a free-kick.

59 min: Veron floats the flag-kick over to Pochettino, but the big centre-back can only head across goal.

58 min: Zanetti bursts clear of two men down the right and gets a cross over, which Babayaro puts behind for a corner.

57 min: Ogbeche turns on the edge of the box and gets a shot away, but he fails to trouble Cavallero.

56 min: Okocha finds Sodje in a little bit of space down the right but the Crewe defenders is well tackled by Placente.

55 min: Ortega shows good skill down the right, but his final ball lets him down and West clears.

54 min: Zanetti breaks down the right but his efforts are in vain as Babayaro gets back well to halt him.

53 min: Gonzalez takes a blow in the face from Sodje, but he's quickly back to his feet.

53 min: Veron plays a sublime through-ball to Ortega, who breaks clear - but he's been flagged offside.

52 min: Okocha takes a long run-up before striking the free-kick into the wall.

52 min: Nigeria win a free-kick about 30 yards from the Argentina goal as play switches to the other end. Samuel gets booked for debating the decision.

51 min: Batistuta drills in the free-kick but it's always rising over the bar.

50 min: Argentina get a free-kick about 25 yards out centrally as Ortega tumbles under Yobo's challenge.

49 min: The corner is taken short and Veron's drilled cross is headed wide by Sorin, who climbed highest in the middle.

49 min: Shorunmu fails to control the ball as he races to the side of his area, conceding a corner in the process.

48 min: Pius Ikedia replaces Kanu for Nigeria.

47 min: Veron's corner from the left is flicked on by Sorin at the front post and Batistuta lunges in, but he can only divert it wide.

46 min: Argentina get things underway again having brought Kily Gonzalez on for Lopez at the interval.

HT: Argentina 0 Nigeria 0.

45 min: That's half-time with the teams locked together in Ibaraki.

45 min: The fourth official comes to the touchline to signal there will be two minutes of added time at the end of the half.

44 min: Pochettino catches a stray arm in the face from Aghahowa but he's quickly back to his feet, although he does have to leave the field for the physio to wipe the blood away from his nose.

43 min: Veron's corner evades everyone in the area and drifts out for a goal-kick.

43 min: Sodje does well to get across and concede a corner as Lopez attempts to connect with Ortega's dinked cross.

42 min: Ortega turns well 35 yards out but his toe-poke through to Batistuta is blocked.

41 min: Batistuta gets a ticking-off from the referee after fouling Yobo just inside the Nigerian half.

39 min: Veron tries to slide in Lopez down the left but his ball is easily blocked by Sodje and Simeone is penalised for a foul on Kanu.

38 min: Aghahowa's overhead kick is way off target, drifting out for a throw on the Nigeria right.

36 min: Veron's corner from the left finds Batistuta at the back post but his header is off target. He climbed highest, but just couldn't direct it on target.

36 min: Sorin cuts inside his marker but his ball in is blocked out for a corner.

35 min: Placente whips a cross over from the left after linking with Veron but Shorunmu easily claims despite the presence of Batistuta.

34 min: Ortega does well to find himself some space in the area but then miscontrols and Nigeria hack clear.

33 min: Batistuta heads Okocha's corner clear to Yobo, who cuts on to his left-footed before shooting wide.

32 min: Ogbeche bursts down the left and finds Okocha. He spins past Veron and Ortega before rifling in a left-footed effort from 25 yards which Cavallero has to tip over.

30 min: Veron's inswinging corner is returned to him and his second cross drifts in to the crowd.

30 min: Ortega drills a shot in from 25 yards after Veron heads the ball into his path but Shorunmu tips it over.

29 min: Nigeria pull everyone behind the ball as Lopez looks to weave some magic down the left. The plan pays off as Lopez's ball to Veron drifts out of play.

28 min: Ortega drifts past a couple of tackles but then knocks the ball too far ahead of himself and West forces a goal-kick.

27 min: Sorin finds space down the left and sends over a cross but it's far too close to Shorunmu, who claims easily.

26 min: Joseph Yobo makes a promising run down the left but Veron and Zanetti combine well to halt the Nigerian before clearing the danger.

25 min: Lawal curls a ball in from the left after linking with Okocha. The cross in falls just in front of Ogbeche, allowing Cavallero to claim.

24 min: Argentina build patiently.

23 min: Argentina return the ball to Nigeria as the sporting start to this match continues.

23 min: The Arsenal man gets back to his feet with a rueful shake of the head.

22 min: Nigeria put the ball out down the right to allow Kanu to receive more treatment.

21 min: Shorunmu races from goal to hack clear as Batistuta chases down Lopez's sublime through ball.

21 min: Okocha's free-kick is headed into the air by Sorin and Walter Samuel completes the clearance.

20 min: Mauricio Pochettino is penalised for a foul on the lively Aghahowa on halfway.

20 min: Batistuta's curling shot from 20 yards forces a save from Shorunmu after the keeper had bungled his clearance.

19 min: Zanetti finds space to shoot from distance but his curling effort fails to trouble Ike Shorunmu.

18 min: Veron and Juan Pablo Sorin link up well down the left but the latter's ball in to Batistuta is headed clear by Babayaro.

17 min: Lopez makes space to cross from the left but the ball is blocked at the front post and West clears.

16 min: Ortega clips the ball in to Batistuta who just fails to get it under control in the area.

15 min: Veron tangles with Kanu again, but the referee waves away Nigerian appeals for a free-kick.

14 min: Aghahowa catches Diego Simeone in possession but the Argentina man gets back well to reclaim the ball on halfway.

14 min: Veron's corner is headed clear at the front post.

13 min: Veron floats the free-kick over from the right and it deflects off of the wall and out for a corner on the same flank.

13 min: Argentina make progress down the right with a couple of throws before Ortega draws a foul from Lawal.

12 min: Babayaro earns himself a yard of space after latching on to Kanu's drag-back. The Chelsea man hits the first defender with his cross, though, when he really should have done better.

11 min: Kanu is back on the field but he is still not moving freely.

10 min: Lopez floats over a cross from the left which sails out of play for a goal-kick.

10 min: Kanu leaves the field on a stretcher for treatment.

9 min: Veron sportingly allows the ball to roll out of play with Kanu lying prone deep inside his own half. He looks to have jarred his knee in a tackle with Veron.

8 min: Javier Zanetti shows a good turn of pace to set Argentina on the break having pinched the ball of Garba Lawal.

7 min: Veron chips a delightful ball over the top which reaches Batistuta. He shoots on the volley, but his effort sails wide.

7 min: Batistuta's cross finds Lopez and his shot rebounds to Ortega. His effort is blocked though and Nigeria clear.

6 min: Ortega shows great skill down the right to tease Babayaro but his cross in strikes Taribo West, who clears easily.

6 min: Babayaro receives a reprimand after hauling down Ariel Ortega on the halfway line.

5 min: Efe Sodje meets the corner on the volley, but his effort sails over the bar.

3 min: Bartholomew Ogbeche links well with Augustine 'Jay Jay' Okocha before the latter forces a corner off Placente.

2 min: The first free-kick goes Nigeria's way as Diego Placente is pulled up for a foul on halfway. Veron repeats the treatment on Julius Aghahowa and is also penalised.

1 min: Gabriel Batistuta gets straight down the left after latching on to Claudio Lopez's ball but his cross drifts out for a goal-kick.

0 min: Nigeria get the game underway in Group F - which also contains England and Sweden.

Pre-match: Manchester United midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron is unsurprisingly named in the Argentina line-up. Perhaps the only mild surprise is in goal, where Pablo Cavallero holds off German Burgos.

Chelsea's Celestine Babayaro and Arsenal's Kanu are among the starters in the Nigerian side.