YOKOHAMA (Reuters):

Spain's Fernando Morientes and Fernando Hierro celebrate their team's third goal during their Group B match at the World Cup Finals in Kwangju yesterday. Spain won 3-1. Reuters

FAVOURITES Argentina and under-achievers Spain got their World Cup campaigns off to bright starts yesterday but England faltered to a 1-1 draw with Sweden which left question marks over their further progress.

Veteran striker Gabriel Batistuta was Argentina's hero, rising majestically to head the only goal in his team's opening match against Nigeria in Ibaraki, Japan.

After twice coming close to scoring, the 33-year-old finally unlocked the rugged Nigerian defence in the 63rd minute to join an exclusive club of only 10 players who have scored 10 goals in World Cup finals.

Argentina's three points in group F, the toughest of the eight, looked even more valuable when England and Sweden later drew 1-1. Despite lurid media warnings, there was no hint of English hooliganism in the Japanese city of Saitama.

Spain, perennial under-achievers at the World Cup, made their first winning start in 52 years in Kwangju, South Korea, with a 3-1 victory over Slovenia.

Luis Enrique set up Raul in the 44th minute of the group B match and there were further goals from Juan Carlos Valeron and Fernando Hierro, who scored a penalty. Substitute Sebastjan Cimirotic scored Slovenia's first World Cup finals goal in the 82nd minute.

In the day's other group B match in Pusan, South Korea, South Africa fought back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Paraguay. Quinton Fortune converted the tournament's first penalty for South Africa after Sibusiso Zuma had been brought down in the last minute of the game.

Argentina, whose players have agreed to play without pay as their soccer federation is broke because of the four-year recession, went immediately on attack against Nigeria.

With Juan Sebastian Veron showing some delightful touches in midfield, Argentina continually threatened without converting their chances.

Batistuta's strike came from a deep Veron corner to the far post when he rose to score his 56th international goal in 76 matches.

Now Argentina look ahead to their meeting with England in Sapporo on Friday in a match fraught with sporting and political tension, stretching back to their turbulent 1966 World Cup quarter-final and the 1982 Falklands war.

"It's the match all Argentines want to play, those who lost friends or relatives in 1982," said goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero.

England made a deceptively lively start against Sweden in Saitama, taking the lead in the 24th minute when defender Sol Campbell scored his first international goal with a header from a David Beckham corner.

The England captain, playing his first match for nearly two months after breaking a bone in his left foot, was substituted in the 63rd minute.

The positions were reversed after the interval when Sweden went on the offensive and England became increasingly uncertain.