Major Surprise on the Opening Day of the World Cup - 2002-05-31

The first World Cup in Asia today was marked by a major surprise, which was the defeat of the French national team, the defending world champion, by the Senegal national football team. This match, which was the opening game of the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, took place in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. 64,000 spectators witnessed this match in the Seoul stadium. According to reports, about 500 million people also watched this match on television. The only goal of the match was scored by Papa Bouba Diop in the 30th minute of the game during the first half. France felt the absence of Zinedine Zidane in this game, a player who has played a significant role in the victories of the French national team; Zidane was injured in a friendly match against the South Korean national team and is unlikely to play in the second match as well. This was the only match held today. The Senegal team had an outstanding defense today. This is the first defeat of the French national team in a World Cup final since 1986 when West Germany hosted the tournament and France lost 2-0 to Germany in the semifinals. France did not participate in the World Cups of 1990 and 1994. The first match in Japan is scheduled to take place tomorrow at the Yokohama stadium. In this edition of the World Cup, 32 teams are participating, and over the next two weeks, four matches will be held every day in 20 stadiums across Japan and South Korea.